Islanders, Rangers have their Monday games postponed

Add at least one more postponement to both the Islanders' and Rangers’ slates.

The NHL on Friday announced that it has postponed all games scheduled for Monday as it continues to assess the leaguewide COVID-19 outbreak. The Islanders were supposed to be at Buffalo and the Rangers were scheduled to host the Red Wings that night.

Teams will be allowed to resume practicing on Sunday after 2 p.m.

"The league had planned to resume its schedule on Dec. 27," the NHL said in a statement. "But in order to allow the League an adequate opportunity to analyze League-wide testing results and to assess Clubs’ readiness to play, the target date for resumption of game play will be pushed back an additional day. Teams will return to practice on Dec. 26 and it is expected that the League will provide an update on its return to play plans by the end of the day on Sunday."

The NHL announced on Tuesday that it was postponing all games scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, thereby extending the league’s planned holiday break.

The league also must assess the viability of travel across the U.S.-Canada border. The NHL postponed games between U.S. and Canadian teams this week even before announcing the extension of the holiday break.

The Islanders have had five games postponed since Nov. 28. The Rangers have had four postponed since Nov. 20.

That includes a game between the teams at the Garden that originally was scheduled for Nov. 28 and now will be played on March 17.

For now, the Rangers’ next game is scheduled for Wednesday night at Florida and the Islanders are scheduled to face the Red Wings on Wednesday night at UBS Arena.

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.