Rangers-Islanders: Rangers Win 3-1 While Watching Sean Avery in AHL Game

The New York Rangers kept their playoff hopes alive and kept the Islanders in the basement by beating their cross-town rivals 3-1 tonight.
       
The Rangers scored the first goal. Nigel Dawes got his ninth goal of the season, assisted by Chris Drury and Petr Prucha, at 8:24 of the first period.
       
The Islands tied it up when Mark Streit scored, assisted by Blake Comeau and Kyle Okposo, at 5:37 of the first. The period ended with the teams tied at one goal apiece.

Scott Gomez, assisted by Chris Drury and goalkeeper Henrik Lundqvist, put the Rangers ahead at 7:26 in the second. It was goal number 11 for Gomez. That was the only goal of the second period and the Rangers took a 2-1 lead into the third.

The final goal of the game was scored by Fredrik Sjostrom into an empty net, assisted by Chris Drury and Wade Redden, in the final minute of the game.

Meanwhile, an AHL game between the affiliates of the Rangers and the Islanders featured Sean Avery. The Bridgeport Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the first period and held on to it for the rest of the game. They out shot the Hartford Wolf Pack 32-23.

Hartford was playing without defenseman Vladimir Denisov, who was suspended for four games for a blow to the head of a Lake Erie Monsters player in a game last Friday. Also, Hartford forward Brandon Sugden was suspended for two games for an infraction in the same game.

It was Avery's second game with the Wolf Pack and just the second time he has been in a game since the start of December, when he was dropped by the Dallas Stars.

In the second period of the game against the Tigers, the intensity heated up, as Avery got in shouting matches with Pascal Morency at the start of the period and Tyler Haskins, according to a press release from Our Sports Central, with four minutes remaining in the period. As Avery was stirring things up, Hartford had the best chance of the period.

In his first game back, he played close to twenty minutes for Hartford, had four shots on goal, and got involved in two skirmishes, but kept his gloves on.

The Rangers have Avery playing with their AHL team  with hopes of reuniting him with the team he jump-started last year.

The Rangers were as flat before Avery joined the team as they have been recently. At their last game, Rangers fans voiced their frustration, chanting "Fire Renney" and "Fire Sather".

The Rangers coach and GM have shown an interest in Avery, but he could be claimed by a team that is lower in the standings, such as the Islanders.

Avery still belongs to the Dallas Stars, but they placed him on waivers after he was suspended and sent to "anger management".

It is just over a week before the NHL's final trade deadline before the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Islanders may be looking forward to beating the Toronto Maple Leafs to the basement and for first pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. They could select top ranked John Tavares.

The Rangers got off to a great start this season and finishing out of the playoffs would be considered a disaster.

After an exciting playoff run last year, defeating Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils with The Avery Rule, the Rangers lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins, who went all the way to the finals.

The Penguins were likely watching the Wolf Pack-Tigers game, too, as they need help on left wing and could use some toughness or attitude, which Avery could supply.

Pittsburgh fired their coach this week. Rumours suggest the Rangers' coach could be next.