In their second preseason game, the New York Islanders faced the New York Rangers, where Matias Maccelli scored two goals, contributing to a 4-3 victory. Maccelli's performance addressed two concerns for the team: his ability to produce in a top-six role and the revival of their power play. Maccelli, who previously played on the Toronto Maple Leafs' top line, had a challenging last season, finishing with 14 goals and 39 points.
Maccelli's first goal came from a fortunate bounce off Rangers defenseman Sean Durzi, while his second was a rebound from goaltender Spencer Martin. "Obviously, that’s the goal, to play in that role," Maccelli stated regarding his aim to secure a top-six position. Islanders head coach Pete DeBoer emphasized the importance of scoring, noting that the team needed to improve their power play, which had a success rate of 16.5 percent last season.
DeBoer commented positively on Maccelli's performance, saying he made a statement about his fit on the team. He also mentioned that the power-play unit felt dangerous during the game but cautioned against overreacting to a single performance. In addition, defenseman Ethan Bear and goaltender Henrik Tikkanen were waived for assignment to AHL Hamilton, while several other players were also assigned to the team. Kyle MacLean scored the first goal for the Islanders in the game.