Islanders' Carson Soucy scores against his former team in 2-1 victory over Rangers

NEW YORK (AP) — 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.

Soucy became the first player to score for the Rangers and the Islanders at Madison Square Garden in the same season. The Islanders swept the back-to-back set between the crosstown rivals after winning 5-2 at home on Wednesday night.

Ilya Sorokin stopped 20 of 21 shots to pick up his 18th victory in 32 starts this season. Schaefer, the first pick in the draft last June, broke a tie with Hall of Famer Bobby Orr for the second-most goals by an 18-year-old defenseman in NHL history with his 14th.

Schaefer's goal came 1 minute, 35 seconds after Soucy beat former teammate Jonathan Quick short side from a tight angle. Soucy was playing just his second game with the Islanders since they gave up a third-round pick to get him in just the fourth trade between the New York teams and first since 2010.

Mika Zibanejad scored on the power play and Quick allowed two goals on 21 shots in his eighth appearance in 12 games since Igor Shesterkin was sidelined because of a lower-body injury. The long-term absences of Shesterkin and top defenseman Adam Fox exacerbated what was already a rough season for the Rangers, who recently signaled they are beginning a retooling process.

In line with that, they began sitting leading scorer Artemi Panarin rather than risking an injury that could prevent trading him before the March 6 deadline. Panarin is a pending unrestricted free agent whom the Rangers informed they were not re-signing.

The Islanders, who have won three in a row as they aim to make the playoffs, were without fourth-line center Casey Cizikas because of illness. Maxim Shabanov took his spot in the lineup.

Islanders: Host Nashville on Saturday night.

Rangers: Visit Pittsburgh on Saturday.

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New York Islanders' Carson Soucy (4) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Rangers Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) stretches during a pause in play during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Rangers Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Islanders' Matthew Schaefer smiles after scoring a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Rangers Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Islanders' Matthew Schaefer (48) skates past New York Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick (32) after scoring a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Islanders' Carson Soucy (4) skartes past New York Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick (32) after scoring a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes left Thursday night's game against Nashville in the first period because of injury and did not return.

Coach Sheldon Keefe said it was a lower-body injury and that Hughes would be re-evaluated Friday, but that he did not believe it was serious. The Devils rallied to beat the Predators 3-2 in overtime.

Hughes skated just three shifts. He took one shift and went to the locker room before returning for another and then heading down the tunnel again followed by a trainer — all in the first 7:30 of the game. He logged 2 minutes, 27 seconds of ice time.

The 24-year-old missed five weeks earlier this season after injuring his right thumb at a team dinner and undergoing surgery Nov. 15 on it. Hughes had 14 points in his first 16 games back, including a pair of assists Tuesday night in a 4-3 home loss to Winnipeg.

Hughes' latest absence comes two weeks before the U.S. is set to play its first game at the Milan Cortina Olympics. USA Hockey has already made one change to its 25-player roster, with Jackson LaCombe replacing injured defenseman Seth Jones.

Hughes, along with brother Quinn, is a first-time Olympian. The U.S. has two sets of brothers, with Matthew and Brady Tkachuk also on the team.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

New Jersey Devils' Jack Hughes (86) skates with the puck as Vancouver Canucks' Drew O'Connor (18) watches during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86) has his shot knocked away by Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield (5) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)