Postgame takeaways: NY Rangers fumble their way out of playoff position in lifeless loss
NEW YORK - Nothing good seems to last very long for the Rangers these days.
They had a stretch of improved play that spanned about four games – even though they only went 2-2 in that span – but Tuesday was a return to the doldrums.
A 2-1 loss to the Calgary Flames in front of a restless Madison Square Garden crowd was much worse than the score indicates.
The Flames had every excuse for lethargy after playing in Toronto on Monday night and arriving in New York early Tuesday, but it was the Rangers (33-30-6) who looked gassed.
They scored on the second shot of the game from Artemi Panarin, then failed to test Calgary backup goalie Dan Vladar or muster any offensive push from that point forward.
The final shot tally was 35-13 in the Flames' favor, with the Rangers reverting back to many of the bad habits that got them into this mess in the first place.
This came after they rallied back into playoff position during last week’s Midwest road trip, but their lack of urgency since returning home has left them on shaky ground.
Montreal's comeback win over Ottawa on Tuesday pushed the Canadiens ahead of the Blueshirts for the Eastern Conference’s final wild-card spot. New York now sits a point back with 13 games to play, but the Habs still have 15. And four other teams − Blue Jackets, Red Wings, Bruins and Islanders − are within three points of that.
Nearly 70 games into the season, the Rangers still can’t find their footing − or any semblance of consistency.
Bad fundamentals and very few shots
Panarin beat Vladar to give the Rangers a fleeting 1-0 lead 1:13 into the game, extending his point streak to 10 games in the process, but it was all Flames from there.
The first period featured a comedy of fundamental errors, with Calgary players repeatedly left open in the slot and 15 New York turnovers fueling their rush.
The Flames eventually tied the score when Nazem Kadri pounced on a juicy rebound from Mackenzie Weegar at the 10:22 mark, then took a permanent lead with 1:57 remaining in the period on Matt Coronato’s power-play goal.
They posted 14 shots in the opening 20 minutes, with New York fumbling its way to only five.
If you thought that was bad, the Rangers said, “Hold my beer,” and managed only three in the second and then five in the third.
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Takeaways: NY Rangers fumble their way out of playoff position
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