NHL

Islanders nip Rangers in shootout

The two bitter rivals entered Thursday night’s second meeting in a week headed in opposite directions. The Rangers were starting to dig out of their early hole and slowly climb up the Atlantic Division standings while the Islanders were fully entrenched at the bottom.

In terms of excitement, the two rivals didn’t disappoint. There was a blown two-goal lead, a controversial game-tying goal and even a failed breakaway in the final seconds of overtime.

The two teams treated the crowd at the Garden to one of their typical seesaw affairs — this one a 4-3 Islanders shootout win.

Frans Nielsen and John Tavares each scored in the extra session while goaltender Evgeni Nabokov (37 saves) capped off a brilliant final three periods with a pair of saves.

The Rangers dominated the first period, the Islanders the second, and the final period and overtime was a relative draw as the two goaltenders, Nabokov and Marty Biron, found their rhythm after uneven play.

The second period saw the Islanders turn the contest on its head, striking for three goals — by Colin McDonald, John Tavares and Brad Boyes — in a stunning 6:56 to erase a 2-0 deficit. McDonald’s goal, 29 seconds into the period, set the tone for the pesky, active and forechecking Islanders who had the Rangers on their heels. He delivered one big hit and fought off another before depositing a Casey Cizikas feed from in front.

Tavares added his eighth goal and fourth in as many games on a 2-on-1 breakaway and Boyes turned the crowd ornery by beating Biron far side on another odd-man rush.

The Islanders momentum didn’t last, evaporating just as quickly just as the Rangers two-goal lead. The Rangers converted on their third power play opportunity of the period, when Carl Hagelin managed to jam home a Nabokov misplay, only the fifth goal allowed by the Islanders on the penalty kill.

It was initially ruled no goal, but after review, the call was changed when replay showed the puck crossed the line with the combination of Hagelin wacking at it and Islanders defenseman Travis Harmonic recklessly flying into Hagelin and Nabokov to try to break the play up.

The opening period was a summation of the Islanders’ recent struggles. It was played at full strength, where the Isles struggle mightily, and the Rangers dominated puck possession. It took the Islanders 13:58 to get a shot on goal. By that time, the Rangers had 10, and two already had gotten past Evgeni Nabokov.

Dan Girardi’s goal, from the right point, deflected off Islanders defenseman Andrew MacDonald’s stick and scooted over Nabokov’s left shoulder, just 3:36 after the opening faceoff. Later in the period, MacDonald’s dreadful own-zone giveaway was converted by Marian Gaborik on the rebound of a Brad Richards shot.

When the Islanders steadied themselves late in the first period, Biron, Henrik Lundqvist’s backup, turned them away. He snatched a Matt Martin breakaway attempt out of the air and later was there to turn away Matt Moulston in front, covering up the rebound. His biggest saves, however, came on Tavares, once late in regulation and twice in overtime.

zbraziller@nypost.com