Alberts Šmits helps Rangers to win in final NHL preseason tune-up

Latvian hockey player Alberts Šmits had a successful outing on Friday as his New York Rangers closed out the NHL preseason with a convincing 6:1 road win over the New York Islanders. The score progressed 2:0, 3:0 and 1:1 across the three periods.

Šmits was on the ice for 18 minutes and 18 seconds, during which he registered one shot on goal, delivered one hit, lost possession of the puck twice, and blocked one opposing shot. He finished the game with a plus-one rating.

Defenseman Adam Fox stood out for the Rangers, recording three assists in the win.

Ločmelis suffers loss in Washington

Meanwhile, fellow Latvian Dans Ločmelis had a tougher night with the Boston Bruins, who lost 2:3 on the road to the Washington Capitals. The period-by-period score read 0:1, 0:1, 2:0 and 0:1. Eriks Mateiko was absent from the Capitals' lineup for the game.

Ločmelis played 11 minutes and 38 seconds, taking two shots on goal, throwing one hit, and winning four of nine faceoffs. He ended the contest with an even plus-minus rating.

Both games marked the final stage of preseason preparations before the NHL regular season gets underway. The new campaign is set to begin on September 29, when all league teams, including those featuring the two Latvian players, start their pursuit of a playoff spot.