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Despite a three-goal surge in the final frame to force overtime in a game that was otherwise out of hand, the Rangers couldn’t finish the job in the extra period and ultimately fell 4-3 to the Flyers in a shootout Sunday night at Madison Square Garden.
Former Blueshirt Kevin Hayes scored the lone goal in the skills competition.
At a point in the season when teams in playoff position should be ramping up their play for the first round, the Rangers are seemingly doing the opposite. It was yet another colossal letdown against another club that’s on the outside looking in at the playoffs and competing in meaningless games.
The Flyers, who snapped a four-game losing skid with the win, surpassed the Devils and are now a point clear of last place in the Metropolitan Division. On the other hand, the Rangers are fortunate to still have a hold on second with the third-place Penguins not scheduled to play again until Tuesday.
The Rangers have been able to bounce back from tough games more often than not this season, but it wasn’t until the final 20 minutes of this one that the sense of urgency kicked in. Scoring three times, two of which came in the span of 12 seconds, the Rangers charged their way back into the game at the 11th hour.
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After Flyers center Joel Farabee made it 3-0 just 44 seconds into the third, the Rangers ended their scoring drought at five straight periods dating back to the ugly loss to the Islanders on Friday. Artemi Panarin got a stick on a Jacob Trouba shot to make it a two-goal game.
But a high-sticking penalty assessed to Ryan Reaves and a questionable hooking call on Panarin kept the Blueshirts at a disadvantage in the third. Even though the penalty kill mustered some shorthanded chances during Panarin’s infraction, the Rangers weren’t able to find the back of the net.
Zibanejad then cleaned up the rebound off a Frank Vatrano one-timer to pull the Rangers within one. In the blink of an eye, Andrew Copp took a backhanded feed from Panarin and put it in to tie it up 3-3 with 4:20 left in regulation.
Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin, who finished with 23 saves, turned aside all four Flyers shots in overtime.
The Rangers’ scoring touch has gone cold of late. Filip Chytil flung a backhanded shot off the post in the first. Trouba hit iron in the second. And Barclay Goodrow completely whiffed on a prime two-on-one chance in the final frame.
Despite putting the first six shots on goal in the second period, the Rangers simply couldn’t convert. Shesterkin kept the Rangers somewhat competitive, denying Flyers winger Owen Tippett on two separate breakaways, including one on a terribly timed change from the home team at 12:42.
The Rangers also choked on two power-play opportunities in the middle frame, collecting six shots on goal in total. There has been no flow to the Rangers’ man-advantage units in recent games, as well as little patience with the puck that has led to some erratic passes.
The hope was that a few lineup changes — with Julien Gauthier in for Greg McKegg, Jonny Brodzinski in for Dryden Hunt and Justin Braun in for Braden Schneider — would act as a catalyst for the Rangers. However, it was apparent from puck drop that the desired effect was not achieved.
As a result, the Flyers scored twice in the span of 50 seconds to take a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.
After a Flyers faceoff win, Cam York blasted one from the top of the zone and Shesterkin was too slow to get over in time. A Trouba turnover then led to a Flyers odd-man rush, which Tippett capitalized on with a tremendous individual effort.
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