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(Sports Network) - If the Rangers are going to climb back into the playoff race, finding a way to beat the Islanders would be helpful.

The visiting Islanders will try to beat the Rangers for the fourth time in five meetings this season as the two New York clubs face off at Madison Square Garden.

The Rangers have lost three straight and are just 3-5-2 this month as they have fallen into a tie with Florida for 10th place in the Eastern Conference. They are seven points back of the eighth and final playoff position with 10 games to play.

The Blueshirts' play against the Islanders hasn't helped. The Rangers won five of six versus their Long Island rivals last year, but have gone just 1-2-1 against them this year. The two franchises meet tonight for the first time since the Islanders posted a 3-2 overtime win at MSG on Dec. 26 on Kyle Okposo's goal with 47 seconds left in overtime.

The Rangers were last in action on Sunday versus one of the teams they are chasing for the East's final playoff spot, but they came out flat against the Boston Bruins in a 2-1 setback. Michael Del Zotto got New York on the board with 3:04 to play in the game and Henrik Lundqvist made 29 saves.

"It's really disappointing and frustrating," Lundqvist told the Rangers' Web site."It was the biggest game of the year, so far, and we couldn't match them. As long as we have a chance [for a playoff spot], though, we will continue to fight."

New York, which has lost four of its last five at home, may be without two players tonight in Sean Avery (foot) and Ryan Callahan (lower body), who are both questionable due to injury.

Though the Islanders have won both of their matchups at Madison Square Garden in addition to five of their last seven at the historic venue, they have lost 10 of their last 11 overall as the guest and are 1-1-1 on a four-game road trip that ends tonight.

The Isles fell to 10-20-7 as the road team this year on Saturday with a 1-0 setback to the Kings, as Los Angeles netminder Jonathan Quick stopped all 26 shots fired his way.

Dwayne Roloson made 25 saves for New York, which has lost two straight following a three-game win streak and is 10 points behind a playoff spot with 10 games to play.

"We had some chances. You have to give Jonathan Quick a lot of credit," said Roloson after his team was shut out for the fifth time this year. "He played very well at the other end. It's tough on back-to-back games. We came out sluggish and the first period we didn't generate that many opportunities. Every good shot we had, Jonathan made a great save."