The Islanders (63 points) are in third in the Metropolitan Division, tied in points with the Pittsburgh Penguins (63 points) who are in second in the division. The Islanders are up 3-0-0 in the season series so far, outscoring the Rangers 12-2, looking to sweep the season series when the teams rematch at MSG on Thursday.

Carson Soucy scored against the team that traded him 72 hours earlier, Matthew Schaefer got the 14th goal of his stellar rookie year and the New York Islanders defeated the Rangers 2-1 on Thursday night.

Carson Soucy, acquired from the Rangers on Monday, became the first player to score for the Rangers and the Islanders at MSG in the same season.

That’s a reversal of last season, when the Rangers swept the season series against the Islanders, which may have cost them a shot at winning the NHL Draft Lottery. Instead, the Islanders finished with a worse record and then selected defenseman Matthew Schaefer with the No. 1 overall pick after winning the lottery.

Ondrej Palat scored the opening goal and added an assist in his debut with the New York Islanders, who defeated their cross-town rival New York Rangers 5-2 on Wednesday night.

The New York Islanders took all eight points from the New York Rangers this season, sweeping the season series with a 2-1 win on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.

While the Rangers are retooling, the Islanders are building to be a competitive group in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. On Tuesday, the team went out and acquired Ondrej Palat from the New Jersey Devils, adding some veteran scoring.

Carson Soucy barely had to change his routine on Wednesday night. Instead of walking into the visitors’ locker room, he headed to the home side at UBS Arena as the New York Islanders faced the New York Rangers. Just days earlier, Soucy had been traded across town by the Rangers in exchange for a 2026 third-round draft pick.

It's not known if the deal for the 31-year-old defenseman would be completed before the teams play each other in a back-to-back set Wednesday and Thursday.

Curiously enough, the Rangers and Islanders meet again tonight at The Garden following last night's weird encounter at UBS Arena in Elmont.