In his Islanders debut, Palát scored the opening goal and added an assist as the New York Islanders defeated the New York Rangers 5-2 on Wednesday night at UBS Arena, extending their recent surge and delivering another blow to their cross-town rivals. Just 71 seconds later, Holmstrom struck again, finishing a feed from Tony DeAngelo to give the Islanders a 2-0 lead. Barzal and Pageau scored 47 seconds apart midway through the period, pushing the Islanders’ lead to 4-1 and putting the game out of reach. Heineman added insurance later, capping a balanced offensive effort that saw the Islanders control much of the play. The win highlighted an immediate payoff from the Islanders’ latest roster move, as Palát’s two-way game and poise fit seamlessly into the lineup