The Rangers and Islanders opened the preseason Tuesday night by doing battle at the Nassau Coliseum, and for New York-area hockey fans, it was a first glimpse at the new-look NHL. If the Isles’ 5-1 victory proves to be an accurate representation, the revamped NHL product is reminiscent of the early 1990s, when players enjoyed a lot more open space and many more scoring chances.

Of course, the league’s militant enforcement of the rulebook also means lots of trips to the penalty box, and where that’s concerned, Tuesday night’s game was no surprise. In all, 17 penalties were called in an uncharacteristically peaceful match-up between these two bitter rivals, with 12 of them owing to obstruction infractions. There was also a new delay-of-game penalty called: Beginning this season, no player is allowed to shoot the puck over the glass from the defensive zone. Justin Papineau was the first culprit, but he surely won’t be the last.

After the game, Rangers head coach Tom Renney pointed out that strategy and creativity would be at a premium in the new-look NHL; teams that “romance the puck” will be duly rewarded. Unfortunately, the league’s extended absence didn’t make the Rangers’ hearts grow fonder for the hard rubber biscuit, and they looked disorganized and chaotic throughout. In fact, their only shining moments came when they were on the power play and could dictate the pace of play thanks to the man advantage.

Instead, it was the Islanders who gave the puck the love that Renney spoke of. Isles captain Alexei Yashin played extremely well for Russia in last spring’s World Championships, and if Tuesday night’s game is any indication, the enigmatic center will have his best season as an Islander in 2005-06. He ripped a laser past Kevin Weekes for the Isles’ first goal, and looked more the part of the $90 million man than he has at any point since arriving on Long Island back in 2001.

Perhaps even more important for Yashin, a top-notch scoring winger will now complement him on the Isles’ top line. Former Buffalo Sabre Miroslav Satan made his debut on Tuesday, and demonstrated the high-level offensive skills that enabled him to score 40 goals in 1998-99. If he and Yashin can generate good chemistry, Satan will once again be one of the NHL’s most effective snipers this season.

The Islanders’ best player on Tuesday, however, was Alexei Zhitnik, who looked like a top-tier NHL defenseman for the first time this century in scoring two goals and launching a pair of now legal “two line” passes from the Isles’ defensive zone to the far blue line. Zhitnik’s excellent skating makes his game tailor-made for high-speed hockey, which should in turn allow him to thrive under the league’s new rules.

Another Islander who played extremely well was former Ranger Mike York, who was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers during the off-season in exchange for former captain Michael Peca. York played on a line with the hard-working Jason Blake and sophomore sniper Trent Hunter, if that combination remains intact, it will provide the Isles with a very dangerous second line. York also logged over four minutes of penalty-killing time to round out a promising performance in his first game as an Islander.

“He is not flashy; he does all the things a smart player does,” said Islanders coach Steve Stirling. “If I had to pick one player, I’d say it was him (that was most impressive).”

Rangers star Jaromir Jagr decided to suit up for the game despite being hampered by a sore groin, and though his skating was clearly affected, his playmaking skills were still crisp and exciting. If Jagr can remain healthy, he should once again be among the NHL’s premier players.

The rest of the Rangers’ lineup earned mixed reviews for Tuesday night’s performance. Distinguishing themselves with fine performances were goaltender Henrik Lundqvist and defenseman Fedor Tyutin. Both players took enormous strides forward with their respective games while playing in Europe during the lockout, and should play key roles for the Rangers this season.

Three other Rangers youngsters have also significantly improved their play. Jamie Lundmark scored the Rangers’ only goal on the power play in the first period and appeared much more confident than he did as recently as last season, when he skated with the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Forward Alexandre Giroux, acquired from Ottawa for Greg de Vries, skated effectively throughout, demonstrating excellent playmaking ability and serving competently on the second penalty-killing unit as well. Hulking blue liner Martin Grenier also distinguished himself with some very solid play in the defensive zone.

Currently projected to be the Rangers’ first-line center, Michael Nylander made an excellent pass across the crease to set up the Lundmark for the Rangers’ lone goal. Unfortunately, a handful of terrible decisions with the puck in the defensive zone may be an omen that Nylander may not get the first-line ice time he’s looking for this season.

Not surprisingly, 2005 first-round pick Marc Staal looked a bit overwhelmed by the action. The 18-year-old blueliner was the victim of an incorrect interference call when he leveled Islanders forward Sean Bergenheim with a seemingly legal check about four minutes into the game. Staal appeared to be rattled from that point forward, and was sent to the sin bin for four separate minor penalties. When he jumped off the bench too early for a line change, the Rangers were penalized for having too many men on the ice.

Given the shaky performance, it’s highly unlikely that Staal will make the Rangers’ roster on opening night; more likely, he’ll spend the season with his junior team in Sudbury, where he’ll get some much-needed seasoning. While the selection of Staal made sense from a long-term perspective for a team in desperate need of defensive stability, the reality is that the youngster is no fewer than 2-3 years away from a regular spot on Broadway.

After the game, Jagr was asked whether it was good to be back. “Oh, yeah!” the Czech star energetically replied, a sure sign that he’s rejuvenated and enthusiastic about the NHL’s long overdue return. If the enthusiastic response of Tuesday night’s bipartisan crowd at the Coliseum is any indication, the feeling is mutual.

Mr. Greenstein is the editor in chief of InsideHockey.com.