Rangers give up three goals in third period to Blues, drop third in a row

This time, the start was not problematic.

The rest of the game, however, was troublesome.

And now, one-quarter of the way into the 2024-25 season, the worrying questions being asked about the Rangers are existential in nature:

Who are they? And what are they?

The Rangers dropped their third straight game, 5-2, to the Blues Monday night at the Garden. The Rangers fell to 12-7-1 overall and 5-4-1 on home ice.

Despite another strong performance in net from Igor Shesterkin, who finished with 38 saves, and a two-goal effort from Will Cuylle.

Brayden Schenn’s semi-breakaway goal 1:12 into the third period was the game-winner for the Blues (10-12-1), who were playing their first game under head coach Jim Montgomery, who was hired Sunday.

The sequence leading to Schenn’s game-winner began with Justin Faulk stripping Mika Zibanejad of the puck behind the St. Louis net. Scott Perunovich jumped on the turnover and sprung Schenn, whose fourth of the season beat Shesterkin to the stick side.

Zack Bolduc scored his second of the game 7:13 later to put the game out of reach. Pavel Buchnevich’s empty-netter with 2:45 left ended the scoring.

During his availability following the morning skate at the team’s Greenburgh, N.Y., training center, Peter Laviolette bemoaned the way the Rangers had started their last two games, the 3-2 loss to the Flames Thursday and Saturday night’s 6-2 blowout defeat in Edmonton.

And, truth be told, the Rangers did have a relatively quick start, as they had a 10-5 advantage in shots 6:25 into the game. But the final 53:35 proved to be vexing as the Blues outshot the Rangers 38-19. For the game, St. Louis had a 43-29 advantage in shots on goal.

Presumably, the coach was pleased to see Cuylle’s game-opening goal 8:47 into the match. Twenty-nine seconds after the Rangers’ second power play of the first period came to an end, Cuylle was credited with his eighth goal of the season. The scoring sequence began with Kaapo Kakko firing a shot from the half wall that deflected off of Zac Jones’ stick and ricocheted off of Cuylle’s leg.

The lead lasted for all of 2:58.

Jordan Kyrou tied the game 1-1 with his seventh of the season at 11:45 off of a behind-the-net feed from Schenn, who had intercepted Zibanejad’s pass behind the goal line intended for Jacob Trouba.

Bolduc’s first of the season 4:30 into the second period put the Blues ahead, 2-1. The Rangers were unable to break out of their end of the ice due St. Louis’ heavy forecheck to start the period, and it was costly when Bolduc flipped a quick shot that eluded Shesterkin.

The Rangers drew even at 2-2 nearly three minutes later when Cuylle slammed a one-timer past Joel Hofer (27 saves) for his second goal of the contest. Rookie Brett Berard recorded his first NHL point on the goal as he was credited with the secondary assist.