Rangers' playoff chances take a hit with loss to Blue Jackets

At least when they blew a two-goal lead in the third period Saturday in Ottawa and lost in overtime, the Rangers were able to take away a point that helped them in their battle to make the playoffs.

On Sunday against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Madison Square Garden in their last game before a three-game road trip, they couldn’t even do that.

Adam Fantilli had a hat trick and backup goaltender Daniil Tarasov made 32 saves for the Blue Jackets (31-24-8, 70 points), who scored two goals late in the second period and two in the middle of the third to break open a close game and rout the Rangers, 7-3.

The win catapulted Columbus over Ottawa into the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Rangers (31-27-6, 68 points) have lost three in a row (0-1-2) and remain outside the playoff picture, one point behind Ottawa for the second wild card. They leave for a three-game road trip in which they will play Winnipeg, Minnesota and Columbus.

“We have 18 more games,’’ Mika Zibanejad said when asked about losing back-to-back against Ottawa and Columbus. “Yes, it’s tough, especially [losing to] two teams that we’re battling against. But I don’t know . . . As frustrating as it is — and trust me, it is — but we have a big road trip coming up. We’re getting these guys again next weekend, so just kind of find a way to win the games here.’’

One thing that would help the Rangers is figuring out how to turn on their power play, which went 0-for-4 Sunday, is 0-for-its-last-14 over four-plus games and is 1-for-20 since point man Adam Fox suffered an apparent shoulder injury against the Islanders on Feb. 25.

“Obviously, our power play has to get going,’’ Zibanejad said. “And honestly, just play better.’’

“If you go back and look at it, there was lots of chances, there was lots of shots, and . . . shots that missed, shots that got blocked, shots that didn’t connect,’’ coach Peter Laviolette said. “The goalie made some saves as well.

“But . . . we’ve got to score. That’s an opportunity. You get the man advantage, that’s a chance to get that fourth goal, or that’s a chance to get the second goal in the first period, or the first one, and then you follow it up with the one at the end of the period.’’

The Rangers did score two shorthanded goals, which came on the same Blue Jackets power play in the second period and briefly tied it 3-3.

Goals by Columbus’ Justin Danforth and the Rangers’ Artemi Panarin — who extended his goal-scoring streak to a career best-tying five games — had the game tied 1-1 entering the second period.

Fantilli scored twice within 26 seconds to give Columbus a 3-1 lead at 3:33 of the second. And when Will Cuylle was sent off for a holding penalty at 6:13 of the period, things looked as if they were about to get worse for the Rangers.

Instead, Braden Schneider scored off a pass from Zibanejad at 6:54. Then Chris Kreider and Zibanejad broke in 2-on-0 and Kreider scored off Zibanejad’s pass to tie it at 7:36.

That brought the Garden crowd to life, but the building got quiet again when Mathieu Olivier scored at 17:03 to put Columbus in front. It got even quieter when Dante Fabbro blasted a shot past goalie Jonathan Quick (20 saves) to make it 5-3 at 18:47.

Olivier was credited with Columbus’ sixth goal at 10:17 of the third period. His backhand shot was saved by Quick and the puck popped up in the air. Rangers defenseman Zac Jones gloved it, but Columbus’ Kent Johnson swung his stick at Jones’ glove and the puck popped in the air, over Quick and into the net to make it 6-3.

Fantilli completed his hat trick 1:34 later.

After watching his team allow seven goals, defenseman K’Andre Miller was asked if he’s seen any reasons for why the team’s defensive play, which had been so tight last week, seemed to slip over the weekend.

“Nothing specific,’’ he said. “I think we’re just not playing as hard defensively.’’

Notes & quotes: Laviolette was asked if he considered pulling Quick after two periods and inserting No. 1 goalie Igor Shesterkin. “We talked about it,’’ he said. “When you look at some of those goals and where the guys were standing in front of the net, also looking at the schedule, where we're at inside the season, the fact that we played last night, where we're going next — Quickie's a warrior in there. But when we talked about it, we left him in.’'  . . . Laviolette made one change to the lineup from Saturday, inserting Brett Berard in place of Juuso Parssinen. Berard drew two penalties in the first period, giving the Rangers two power plays.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.