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With a loss in the regular-season finale, the Rangers fell short of the franchise’s first Presidents’ Trophy since the 1993-94 Stanley Cup-winning season, but the team finished on top of the East to clinch both the Conference and the Atlantic Division titles with an impressive 51-24-7 record. The Broadway Blueshirts face the eighth-seeded Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, but before they do, here are our regular-season grades.

Recap | Box score | Photos

What it means: Brad Richards tallied twice, the Rangers erased three one-goal leads and Marian Gaborik delivered the game-winner with less than six seconds left in overtime to beat the Islanders 4-3 and snap a three-game losing streak.

Pair on power play: Richards single-handedly whittled two one-goal leads with his pair of power-play goals Sunday night. Notching his 20th goal of the season with less than two minutes remaining in the first period, the 31-year-old center carried the puck up the ice untouched before firing a shot past Evgeni Nabokov for the Rangers' first power-play goal in five games.

Richards tallied another in the second, beating Nabokov with a slap shot from the left point to tie the game at 2 before Andrew MacDonald's breakaway goal restored the Islanders lead.

Scoreless snapper: For the second time in less than 24 hours, John Tavares snapped a scoreless draw. The third-year center, who opened scoring in the third period of Saturday's 2-1 loss to the Devils, gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead at 10:15 of the first.

In what resulted in an incidental give-and-go, Tavares crashed the net after dishing off to PA Parenteau to bury a rebound for his 28th of the season. Tavares also picked up an assist after springing MacDonald on a breakaway at the end of the second. MacDonald beat Henrik Lundqvist for a 3-2 Islanders lead with 36 seconds remaining in the period.

Spoiled PK: A strong penalty-killing effort was wasted when Matt Moulson tallied his 29th goal of the season with 13 seconds remaining on a four-minute Islanders power-play. The high-sticking double-minor was given to Derek Stepan after the second-year center caught Parenteau under the coach, although coach John Tortorella did not appear to agree with the call. Tortorella was livid on the Rangers bench, presumably because he did not feel the extra two minutes -- awarded when a high-sticking infraction draws blood -- was warranted.

Mats attack: Called up from the minors to replace ailing captain Ryan Callahan (right foot), Mats Zuccarello appeared in his first game for the Rangers in almost five months. The diminutive winger, who has 12 goals and 36 points in 37 games for the AHL's Connecticut Whale, played on the Rangers' first-team power-play unit and skated on a line with John Mitchell and Mike Rupp. He recorded an assist on Richards' second-period power-play goal for his first point this season.

Exacting revenge:Rangers defenseman Stu Bickel got some payback against Islanders brawler Micheal Haley for their last rendezvous, a fight that left Bickel with painful facial fractures back in December. The two dropped the gloves 2:14 into play; it was the Rangers' league-leading 58th fighting major this season.

Recap | Box score | Photos

What it means: Ilya Kovalchuk has single-handedly boosted the Devils to two straight wins with brilliant back-to-back performances against two of New Jersey's most hated division rivals. Following up on Tuesday's dominant two-point performance that led the Devils past the Rangers 4-1, Kovalchuk recorded his second hat trick in three weeks with three goals in the team's 5-1 victory against the Islanders. The 28-year-old sniper, who halted a nine-game goalless streak Tuesday, is tied with Marian Gaborik for third among active NHL players with 13 career hat tricks. Patrik Elias and David Clarkson also scored for the Devils while defenseman Marek Zidlicky, Zach Parise and Adam Henrique chipped in with two assists apiece.

New streak: Following his nine-game drought, Kovalchuk has tallied four times in the past two games. Burying his own rebound, Kovalchuk gave the Devils a 1-0 lead at 8:07 in the first, then one-timed a shot from the left circle for a power-play goal at 3:33 in the second. Kovalchuk notched his third of the night for his team-leading 29th of the season.

Knuckle-puck: Islanders defenseman Andrew MacDonald sent a fluttering puck from beneath the goal line and banked it off goaltender Martin Brodeur to cut the Devils’ lead in half, 2-1, at 16:21 of the second period. It was the first goal scored by an Islanders defenseman in 13 games.

Nilsson next time? : Perhaps Islanders coach Jack Capuano will go back to goaltender Anders Nilsson when the Islanders host the Devils on Saturday. The rookie netminder made 24 saves to record his first NHL shutout against the Devils Sunday, but backed up Evgeni Nabokov Thursday. Nabokov has given up 12 goals combined in his last three starts.

Surprising scratch: Islanders’ Michael Grabner was a healthy scratch for the first time this season. The 24-year-old winger, who has scored only one goal in the past 19 games, has struggled to replicate the success of his 34-goal rookie campaign. The former Calder Trophy finalist has 15 goals and 10 assists through 67 games this season.

Up Next: Devils @ Islanders, Saturday at 7 p.m.

At a glance: The Devils look to avenge Sunday’s embarrassing 1-0 loss to the Islanders as they host New York for the second of three meetings in one week. Riding high on a decisive 4-1 win against the Rangers Tuesday, the Devils hope to catch the fifth-place Flyers in the Eastern Conference standings while the Islanders try to extend their winning streak to three games.

Pony up: Alexei Ponikarovsky returns to the lineup after missing the past three games with a sprained knee. The 31-year-old winger was missed in the teams’ last meeting. Said coach Pete DeBoer: “He’s exactly the identity of a player that does the things we missed the other night.”

Grabner scratched: Struggling to match the production of his 34-goal rookie campaign, Michael Grabner will be a healthy scratch for the first time this season. The 24-year-old winger, who was a Calder Trophy finalist last season, has only 15 goals this season and only one in the last 19 games. Grabner also missed the last two games with the flu.

Nabokov not Nilsson: Although it was rookie netminder Anders Nilsson that blanked the Devils Sunday, Islanders coach Jack Capuano will start Evgeni Nabokov in goal instead. The 36-year-old netminder has given up seven goals combined in his last two starts.

Hot hand: Settling in on the right wing, Josh Bailey has tallied four goals in as many games. The natural center has moved up to play on the Islanders second line with pivot Frans Nielsen and Swedish winger David Ullstrom.

Three straight: Thursday’s match is the second of three straight games in which the Islanders face the Devils over the course of six days. The two teams also square off Saturday at Nassau Coliseum.

Familiar foes: The Devils are amidst a six-game stretch all against Atlantic Division opponents. New Jersey is currently in fourth place behind the Rangers, Penguins and Flyers.

The closest thing to a hockey holiday has arrived, folks.

The NHL's annual trade deadline is Monday at 3 p.m. and I'll be reporting live from ESPN headquarters in Bristol, CT all day. Make sure to follow the ESPN Hockey crew's live chat (starting at 9 a.m.) for all the buzz throughout the day.

NHL TRADE DEADLINE LIVE CHAT

Local storylines to watch:

-- As ESPNNewYork.com reported Sunday, the Rangers appear to be out on the Rick Nash sweepstakes. Barring a drastic change, a deal to bring the Blue Jackets captain to New York appears unlikely.

--Islanders goaltender Evgeni Nabokov is garnering plenty of interest, but GM Garth Snow told ESPNNewYork.com Sunday the he is "not looking" to move him. Talks between Nabokov's camp regarding a contract extension are expected to continue MOnday.

-- Are the Devils done? GM Lou Lamoriello got a head start on Monday's deadline, trading for veteran defenseman Marek Zidlicky Friday. Zidlicky made his debut in the Devils 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay Sunday; could there be any new additions in Monday's lineup when the Rangers host the Devils at Madison Square Garden?

Devils @ Rangers at 6 p.m. ESPNNewYork.com's Mike Mazzeo will be there for all the game-day action...

Also, you can follow each transaction with ESPN NHL's Trade Tracker here.

What it means: Snapping a two-game skid, the desperate Islanders knocked off their bitter rivals 4-3 as Ex-Ranger PA Parenteau tallied two goals and Matt Moulson scored the shootout game-winner. Goaltender Evgeni Nabokov improved to 7-0 this season in overtime/shootouts as the Islanders handed the slumping Rangers their third loss in four games.

Comeback kids: The Rangers erased a 3-1 lead in the second period with goals from Marian Gaborik and Derek Stepan. After Gaborik notched his 28th of the season with a backhanded breakaway at 11:49, he picked up a helper on Stepan’s equalizer at 16:40 to knot the game at 3.

Jump-start: Victimized by a rash of poor starts, the Rangers hoped for a better beginning against their New York rivals. Instead, the Islanders pounced on them for a 2-0 lead with a pair of goals in the first 8:42 of play. John Tavares recorded a primary assist on both Matt Moulson's marker at 6:07 and P.A. Parenteau's 13th of the season minutes later.

Parenteau prospers: Ex-Ranger Parenteau recorded two goals against his former club. After his slapshot from the right circle beat Biron in the first period, Parenteau recorded his 15th point (seven goals, eight assists) in 11 games against the Rangers with a back-handed goal early in the second for a 3-1 Islanders lead. Before signing with the Islanders in 2010, Parenteau played 22 games with the Rangers. The 28-year-old winger spent the majority of three season with the Rangers’ minor league affiliate in Hartford, Conn.

Man-up: The Rangers' anemic power-play received a jolt when defenseman Marc Staal tallied the team’s first man-up goal in four games. With Marty Reasoner in the box for tripping, Staal snapped a shot to beat Nabokov short-side and cut the Islanders’ 2-0 lead in half. The Rangers entered Friday’s match with a 28th-ranked power play that went 0-for-12 over the previous three games. The Rangers scored again on the man-advantage with Stepan's 13th goal of the season.

Fedotenko returns: After sitting out the previous five games with an undisclosed injury, assumed to be a concussion, Ruslan Fedotenko returned to the lineup for the Rangers on Friday. Defensemen Jeff Woywitka and Steve Eminger were scratched as was forward Wojtek Wolski.

Up Next: Rangers vs. Sabres, Saturday @ 7 p.m.; Islanders @ Senators, Sunday @ 5 p.m.

Perhaps to the chagrin of so-called housebound "agraphobes" everywhere, New York Islanders center John Tavares was named the NHL's First Star for the month of January.

It was a tremendous start to 2012 for Tavares, as the award wraps a 31-day stretch in which he notched a league-best nine goals and 13 assists, and earned his first trip to the All-Star game.

Tavares currently sits tied for fourth in the NHL points standings with 53, six behind league-leader Evgeni Malkin.

Some omissions from ESPN Insider's Neil Greenberg's Top 25 Under 25 list -- a ranking system based on highly-detailed statistical analysis -- garnered more criticism than others. But apparently the most vicious vitriol came from Islanders fans furious over John Tavares' absence.

Hence, Greenberg's defense in the article, "Why John Tavares is good, not great." Essentially, he substantiates his choice -- which also ranks Jonathan Toews ahead of injured superstar Sidney Crosby -- based upon his CPI (Clutch Performance Index) and Corsi percentage.

My take?

He belongs on the list. So do Matt Duchene, Jami Benn and Jeff Skinner.

Granted, I'm not one for complicated mathematical schemes -- as my college statistics professor would gladly vouch -- but I tend to take such analyses with a grain of salt. There are some categories that I believe have great value (a team's goal differential, for example ) and some I find to be pretty misleading ( a player's plus-minus rating).

Here's what I can tell you about watching 21-year-old John Tavares since he was taken first overall in the 2009 draft. Despite the floundering Islanders' dreadful past three seasons, Tavares has improved steadily with few marquee players around him.

He made huge strides -- both literally and figuratively -- in his pace and skating from year one to year two. He has grown tremendously in the strength department from his sophomore campaign to his third year pro. In talking to a couple of his teammates this week, the one thing they have all mentioned when asked what's impressed them about his game?

His strength on the puck and ability to win battles. The fierce competitive nature has always been there, but now he has the muscle to back it up.

Just as he did in his first two seasons with the team, he is leading the team in scoring. With 16 goals and 27 assists in 43 games, Tavares earned a well-deserved All-Star nod for this month's festivities in Ottawa, Ontario.

Let's face it. The Islanders have stagnated at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings in all three seasons since he was anointed The Chosen One on Long Island. The conditions for his development have been far from ideal, but instead of crumbling under the circumstances, he has thrived.

I'm not suggesting he should be mentioned in the same conversation as Crosby or Ovechkin, or even past No. 1 pick Steven Stamkos. But Top 25 Players Under 25?

He belongs on that list.

The Islanders avoided their sixth shutout loss at home -- but just barely.

Newly-named All Star center John Tavares spoiled Pekka Rinne's perfect day, extending his point streak to nine games (five goals, 11 assists during that span) with a third-period tip-in goal with 3:58 to play.

But Nashville dominated play and Rinne stopped 36 shots in a stellar performance, leading his Nashville club to its fifth straight win.

21-year-old goaltender Kevin Poulin had a rough outing by comparison and was returned to the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers after the game. Coming off four straight wins in the AHL -- including three consecutive shutouts -- Poulin gave up three goals on the first six shots he faced.

The young netminder made his first start for the Islanders since December 15 -- a 3-2 loss to Dallas.

There have been few bright spots for the Islanders lately.

John Tavares has been one of them.

Amid a disappointing season rife with dashed expectations and false hope, Tavares has blossomed into what one teammate deemed “a legitimate superstar."

The 21-year-old center’s production has not been dampened by the team’s downtrodden first half; instead Tavares has shouldered the load with a team-leading 40 points -- 15 goals and 25 assists.

The newly-named All-Star, who has a whopping 13 points in the past seven games, has ascended in his third year as a pro.

“If you look at All-Stars, it’s what an individual does for their team,” coach Jack Capuano said. “We’ve got guys who are having good years, don’t get me wrong, but John has elevated his game and taken it to another level.”

Gone is the precocious 19-year-old who broke into league as a supremely talented No. 1 draft pick who at times seemed burdened by his own expectations.

Tavares no longer struggles with the pace or size of the game. Now his teammates marvel at his strength on the puck, his ability to win battles down low. His sheer determination has always been there, sure, but now his game has matched his forceful will.

“I just think it’s a combination of everything I’ve learned the past two and a half years,” Tavares said. “I’ve gotten stronger, I’ve learned the things I’ve had to work on and I understand the game better -- getting through the whole 82-game season, the grind and the toll it can take on you mentally and physically.

“I just feel like I’m getting stronger out there and more comfortable and it’s translating on and off the ice for me,” he said.

Tavares’ strength on the ice has been complemented with significant growth off the ice. He exudes a reserved self-assuredness and has learned to keep an even keel rather than suffocate under the weight of self-criticism.

“His first year, when things wouldn’t go right, he’d get frustrated. Nothing crazy, by any means, but I think he has such a level head now,” said good friend and linemate Matt Moulson, who has a team-leading 20 goals. “Obviously that comes with maturity as a player and as a person.”

Like the rest of his Islanders teammates -- who find themselves in last place in the Eastern Conference with an abysmal record of 15-20-6 -- Tavares is frustrated by the team’s position.

“You’d love to be in a playoff spot. It’s been up and down all year for everybody. We just want to find some consistency and get on a roll, make things interesting for ourselves,” he said.

Tavares will do everything he can to make that happen -- with the assurance of an All-Star.

“He’s not much of a gloater, but I know he’s proud,” Moulson said of Tavares' accolades. “I’m extremely happy for him. He’s worked extremely hard to get where he is. It’s good to see him get some recognition. He’s one of the best in the league.”

Third-year center and former first overall draft pick John Tavares has been named an All-Star.

The 21-year-old leads the Islanders in scoring with 14 goals and 25 assists in 40 games this season.

Tavares is the 26th-place Islanders' lone representative for this month's festivities in Ottawa. Tavares' good friend and linemate Matt Moulson likely garnered consideration as well with his 20-goal first half.

Tavares, who leads Islanders forwards with an average 19:39 in ice time per game, has recorded 10 multi-point games this season, including two four-point efforts and one hat trick.

One of ESPN Insider's advanced stats specialists, Neil Greenberg, took a crack at compiling the league's 25 best players under the age of 25 (Insider). While the most controversial ranking is the selection of Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews ahead of Sidney Crosby -- for which Greenberg sites Crosby's uncertain health -- the omission of one John Tavares has earned the ire of the Isles faithful.

Ahead of the JT? Caps goalie Michal Neuvirth, Predators forward Sergei Kostitsyn and Jets center Bryan Little.

To be fair to Greenberg -- who has written some interesting pieces in the past -- his list weights players with a string of steady production in the past, not their potential ceiling as prospects. In essence, it's looking at what players have done instead of what they could do. Apparently the author prefers a bird in hand. That said, he explains that Tavares' puck possession stats, in terms of Corsi -- an advanced metric that measures the difference in shots generated for and against a players' team when he's on the ice -- are poor compared to the other players on the list, which is why Tavares misses the cut, despite having 160 points in 201 games.

Take a look at the full list ... and you'll probably want to swing by the comments section as well. If there's any consolation, the list doesn't include any Rangers or Devils either.

The rivalry gets rekindled in the Garden tonight. Here are five factors to consider before the puck drops off Broadway:

The Incapable Offense vs. the Unbreachable Net

The Islanders have sputtered in the offensive zone this season, getting little offense beyond their first line. Currently they rank 29th in the league at just 2.26 goals per game. Conversely, even with a D corps depleted by injury, the Rangers have allowed a meager 2.10 goals per game, the third-best mark in the league. The Islanders can take some (small) solace that Marty Biron will start for the Blueshirts, but that relief would only be based on reputation. Biron has an identical save percentage (.934) as Henrik Lundqvist this season, while posting an even better GAA (1.82).

The Islanders’ Crease

With Al Montoya out, Evgeni Nabokov gets the start. To say Nabokov hasn’t seen much ice time lately would be an understatement. As the Isles have started five different netminders this season, Nabokov hasn’t played a full game since Nov. 15, a 4-2 loss to the Rangers. From the misleading stats department: Nabokov hasn’t allowed a goal since that game, turning aside all 21 shots he’s faced in his past two games … of course that came in less than 35 minutes of playing time.

Moulson Golden

Matt Moulson continues to provide one of the best values in the NHL, with 15 goals this season. He’s also been on fire in December with 7 goals and 12 points in 9 games. You can expect him and center John Tavares to earn the majority of the Blueshirts’ defensive attention Thursday night.

Blueshirts’ Back End

If there’s a silver lining to all the Rangers’ defensive injuries it’s that players throughout the team’s organizational depth chart are getting ice time in the NHL. If/when Marc Staal and Michael Sauer come back, that’ll help. In the meantime, the pressure will be on the Rangers’ third pairing of fill-ins Stu Bickell and Tim Erixon. With the Rangers on home ice, look for Blueshirt bench boss John Tortorella to try and limit their exposure.

HBO Impact

With the "24/7" cameras rolling, I bet we see 110 precent effort from the Islanders. It’s the first of two meetings between the rivals during the TV series window and the show has already made grudge matches a theme, previously emphasizing the Flyers-Penguins rivalry. You can bet the show will do something similar to highlight a clash between the two New York team and there’s no way the Islanders want to be characterized as the step child in this relationship, not with their pride in their Stanley Cup-rich history, and not with the pride the current players have in their locker room. This is going to be a good one.

On Friday night, the NHL fined Islanders forward John Tavares $2,500 for slashing Zach Parise in the second period of the Isles' 1-0 loss to the Devils.

No penalty was called on the play.

Recap | Box score | Photos

What it means: The Islanders were a mere afterthought in league superstar Sidney Crosby's captivating return. The Penguins captain showed little rust in his first game back after missing 10 months with post-concussion symptoms, scoring two goals and two assists against an outclassed Islanders club that has now dropped 12 of its last 14 games. Crosby's dazzling performance buried the sputtering Islanders 5-0 in the team's second straight shutout loss and fifth of the season. The flailing squad remains dead last in the Eastern Conference standings with a dreadful 5-10-3 record and have yet to record a win on the road this season.

The Captain is back: Crosby wasted no time in reminding hockey fans what they had been missing. Less than six minutes into the first period, Crosby beat Islanders goaltender Anders Nilsson on a rush with a top-shelf backhander for his first goal since Dec. 28, 2010. Sid the Kid notched his second of the night early in the third to give the Penguins a 5-0 lead. Crosby also picked up two assists -- setting up Brooks Orpik’s one-timer at 16:29 of the first and drawing a secondary assist on Evgeni Malkin’s power-play goal at 3:17 in the second.

Last time around: The last time Crosby faced the Islanders, they snapped his 25-game, 50-point streak in a 2-1 shootout win in Long Island on Dec. 29, 2010. Goaltender Rick DiPietro made 37 saves in the game and blanked Crosby and Mark Letestu in the shootout.

Flower power: Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 29 saves for his 21st career shutout, and second of the season (both came against the Islanders).

Nilsson in net: It was a rough night for Nilsson, the young Swedish goaltender who made his first NHL start under challenging circumstances in the raucous Consol Energy Center. The 21-year-old, who played two periods Saturday in relief of Rick DiPietro, gave up a goal on the first shot he faced and let in four more throughout the game.

Man down: The Islanders lost defenseman Mark Eaton early in the second period after the former Penguin collided with Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke. Eaton suffered a sprained left knee on the play and will be evaluated further Tuesday.

Ullstrom’s NHL debut: Following a wretched 6-0 loss to Boston on Saturday, Jack Capuano ripped the team and indicated that personnel changes were looming. Enter David Ullstrom. The 22-year-old center was called up Sunday and made his NHL debut against the Penguins. Ullstrom is tied for the team lead in Bridgeport with 12 goals and two assists in 17 games for the Sound Tigers.

Okposo on board: Scratched for the last three games, Kyle Okposo returned to the lineup in Pittsburgh. The 23-year-old assistant captain was benched following a 14-game goalless streak. With his return and Ullstrom’s recall, Blake Comeau and Nino Niederreiter were scratched. Comeau has been held off the scoresheet in all 15 games played this season, and Niederreiter was given a game off after playing six in nine nights. Defenseman Mike Mottau was also scratched.

Up next: Islanders vs. Flyers, Wednesday at 7 p.m.