Rangers fall out of playoff position with listless loss to Flames

The Rangers have repeatedly failed to help themselves.

On a night when four teams within arm’s length of them in the Eastern Conference wild-card race were also playing, the Blueshirts seemed to have nothing in the tank in a 2-1 loss to the fellow playoff-chasing Flames Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

A chance to maintain their position in the second wild card could not be achieved against a Calgary team using its backup goalie on the second night of a back-to-back slate.

The Rangers, who fell out of playoff position, were held to five shots, three shots and five shots in each period, respectively — their second-lowest shot total of the season.

Madison Square Garden booed their lone embarrassing power play.

A smattering of heckles ushered them off the ice after a lopsided middle frame.

And the jeering chorus struck up again among the few fans that were remaining in the lower bowl as they left the ice at the final horn.

“We just didn’t show up to play,” K’Andre Miller said. “One of the biggest games of the season.”

Since the Canadiens beat the Senators Tuesday night, Montreal took over the second wild-card spot from the Rangers.

Igor Shesterkin makes a save against Blake Coleman during the second period of the Rangers’ 2-1 loss to the Flames on March 18, 2025, at Madison Square Garden.

The Islanders’ win over the Penguins not only gave them a better points percentage than the Rangers, but also pulled them within two points of their intrastate rival with two games in hand.

The Eastern Conference wild-card race only seems to be getting tighter, and the Rangers continue to float through, unable to take any sort of control over their own destiny.

“[The compete] was not there,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “There was nothing there. They were faster than us, they got to the ice quicker than us, they were more ready. That’s the way the game played out.”

The Rangers’ energy was noticeable at the very start, but quickly fizzled and never returned after they opened the scoring.

Artemi Panarin whipped in his 30th goal of the season from the left circle less than 2 ½ minutes in, giving the Rangers a 1-0 lead and extending his point streak to 10 games.

It was all Flames from there on. The visitors ended up outscoring the Blueshirts 2-1 and outshooting them 15-5 through the opening 20 minutes.

Calgary caused havoc around the Rangers net all game.

Artemi Panarin celebrates with Vincent Trocheck after scoring a second period goal during the Rangers’ loss to the Flames

Nazem Kadri capitalized on their net-front efforts first, swooping in and burying the third Flames rebound of the shift to even the score at one-all at the 10:22 mark.

With Matt Rempe in the box for elbowing later in the first frame, the Flames needed just 17 seconds to capitalize on the power play.

Matt Coronato, all alone in the slot, ripped one home to give Calgary their first lead of the night.

Kevin Bahl of the Calgary Flames misses a check on Mika Zibanejad of the New York Rangers during the third period.

Despite a scoreless second period, the Flames had their way with the Rangers with little resistance.

After recording 11 giveaways in the first, the Rangers committed five more the following period on account of how little they had the puck.

Tensions began to rise after J.T. Miller took a stick below the belt at the end of the opening frame.

Calgary’s Matt Coronato celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal during the Ranges’ loss to the Flames.

It only escalated from there, with Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson chirping at Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin a couple of times.

The only team it seemed to invigorate, however, was the Flames.

“No execution,” said Mika Zibanejad, who along with Vincent Trocheck (0), Panarin (1) and Miller (1) combined for just three shots on goal. “I thought we were slow. I think we got away from the things that we did well in the previous games. We were just slow executing, slow moving the puck, slow getting open.

“We’re just standing still in the neutral zone, we get pucks deep, we have one guy going. Just break it out, very, very easy. We can’t get anything going and that’s on us.”