Andrew Gross: Islanders must keep it simple against Rangers and every opponent in race toward playoffs
The Islanders' Matthew Schaefer, left, celebrates his second-period goal against the Rangers with teammate Bo Horvat at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The KISS principle — “Keep it simple, stupid” — has its origins in the 1930s and became very popular by the 1970s with regard to designing and engineering. It’s been used in politics, too.
So why not apply it to hockey and, specifically, the Islanders, who rode a two-game winning streak into their return match with the Rangers on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.
KISS would suggest there was no need for the Islanders to overthink things as they went for only their third season series sweep of their New York rivals, part of a stretch of six games in nine days, with five of those foes coming from their Metropolitan Division.
Don’t worry about the opponent. Focus on the details of getting two points. Each and every game. Not just against the Rangers.
Keep it simple, stupid (and, by the way, the repeated use of this phrase in no way indicates that this writer considers the Islanders stupid, collectively or individually. Further, this writer would appreciate no verbal stones being hurled in the opposite direction. Just making a point here).
“For example, you sweep them but you don’t get in the playoffs. Does it really matter?” Anders Lee posited after the Islanders’ 5-2 win over the Rangers on Wednesday night at UBS Arena.
“We’re trying to get the points. We’re trying to win hockey games. We’ll have the same approach. Come in focused. Come in with a good mentality playing a simple game, playing hard.”
The Islanders entered Thursday in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 63 points in their first 53 games. The second-place Penguins, who hosted Chicago on Thursday night, had the same 63 points in two fewer games. But the Islanders were six points ahead of the Blue Jackets, Flyers and Capitals, with the latter two also in action on Thursday.
The Islanders also entered Thursday having beaten the retooling and ragged Rangers by an aggregate 12-2 in their first three meetings, all regulation wins. They also swept the Rangers in 2015-16 and 2017-18, winning three games in regulation and once in a shootout in both of those seasons.
Of course, last season, the Rangers swept the four-game series from the Islanders by a combined 23-5.
Ironically, that domination, specifically a 9-2 win in the last game, dropped the Islanders instead of the Rangers into the NHL Draft Lottery slot that led to selecting franchise transformer Matthew Schaefer with the first overall pick. So by losing big last season, the Islanders wound up winning even bigger.
All of which explains why the Islanders were adhering to the KISS principle in advance of Thursday’s fourth game with the Rangers.
Sure, it’s fun beating the team’s closest rival. Don’t let the players fool you; they do hear all the ruckus in the stands at Islanders-Rangers games.
But beating the Rangers is not an end in itself. It’s a means to a bigger end.
Defenseman Ryan Pulock responded in kind when asked if there is any extra “zest” in beating the Rangers.
“Any divisional game, obviously points are so important for us right now, it’s going to be so tight,” Pulock said. “It’s always a big game. Fans on both sides are passionate. It’s always good to win those ones.”
Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who had a goal and an assist on Wednesday, concurred.
“We want to close out and beat them again and keep climbing the standings,” he said. “That’s our focus. That’s all we can focus on right now is to try to play as well as we can and play a good road game like we did in Philadelphia [Monday’s 4-0 win]. Try to put a few games together. It’s going to be a big challenge and I think everyone’s up for it.”
The Islanders played a structurally sound defensive game against the Flyers and improved upon that performance against the depleted Rangers, limiting them to 16 shots.
The objective is to continue to build upon those types of efforts.
“We just need to get some consistency and keep going,” coach Patrick Roy said. “That’s all. Focusing on what we control and the way we want to play.”
Keep it simple, stupid (to be clear, Roy is not stupid).
Notes & quotes: Casey Cizikas (illness) was unavailable, snapping his team-best streak of playing in 161 straight games. Lee, at 136 games, now has the Islanders’ longest consecutive-games streak.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
