NY Rangers (22-21-4-3) at NY Islanders (24-16-5-2)   7:00 pm EST
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UNIONDALE, New York (Ticker) -- One of the National Hockey
League's hottest rivalries takes place at the Nassau Coliseum on
Tuesday as the New York Rangers visit the New York Islanders in
their third meeting of the season. 

The team's split the first two meetings this season, each
winning at the other team's venue. 

The Rangers beat the Islanders, 6-2, on November 8 in a game
that saw the Rangers score three first-period goals in a span of
65 seconds from Theo Fleury, Brian Leetch and Sandy McCarthy. 

After McCarthy scored, the 6-3 right wing was knocked to the ice
by former 6-6 Ranger defenseman Eric Cairns, leading to a series
of minor altercations. 

Fleury and McCarthy began taunting the Islanders but they didn't
respond, vocally nor physically. 

Cairns got his revenge in the next meeting at Madison Square
Garden on December 21, which the Islanders won, 2-1.  In the
first period, he and McCarthy squared off with Cairns emerging
as the winner. 

"I think we had to send a message, which we did," Cairns said.
"We weren't going to back down.  We were going to give our best
effort the whole game." 

The Islanders come back home after completing a five-game road
trip which they wone three games, including a 3-2 victory at Los
Angeles on Saturday. 

Defenseman Adrian Aucoin, Kip Miller and Mariusz Czerkawski
tallied goals for New York and goaltender Garth Snow made 23
saves, extending his personal winning streak to three games. 

The Rangers are winless in their last nine games (0-7-1-1),
since posting a 5-4 victory, also at Los Angeles, on December
29. 

The Rangers lost to their other local archrivals, the New Jersey
Devils, 6-4 on Thursday.  The loss marked the third straight
season the Rangers have had a nine-game winless streak. 

Tuesday's contest concludes the Rangers' four-game road trip
while the Islanders begin a four-game homestand. 

Both teams meet again January 30 at the Garden. 

st 01-22-02 09:36 et