Rangers' playoff chances dim with loss to Devils

NEWARK — The Rangers already didn’t have control of their playoff destiny before facing the Devils on Saturday afternoon at Prudential Center.

And after another rough afternoon in New Jersey, the 2024 Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers were left humbled and in dire need of help to reach the postseason.

Timo Meier had two goals, Nico Hischier added a goal and two assists and Jacob Markstrom made 26 saves to earn his fourth shutout of the season as the Devils outclassed their Hudson River rivals, 4-0, dealing the Rangers’ playoff hopes a severely damaging blow.

The Rangers’ winning streak ended at two games (they haven’t won three in a row since mid-November).

It was the fourth time this season that they have been shut out and the second time at Prudential Center, where they took a 5-0 loss on Dec. 23.

The Canadiens (37-30-9, 83 points), who hold the second and final wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, beat the Flyers, 3-2, on Saturday night and moved four points ahead of the Rangers (36-33-7, 79 points).

Six games remain for each. Even if the Rangers win all six and finish with 91 points, the Canadiens will beat them out if they can earn nine of 12 points.

“We still control what we control,’’ Vincent Trocheck said when asked about the results the Rangers need from the out-of-town scoreboard. “We have to go out there and win as many games as we can.’’

The Rangers outshot the Devils 26-16 on Saturday but again lost the special-teams battle.

Their power play, which had scored only once in its last 26 opportunities in the previous 10 games — and twice in the last 41 opportunities in the previous 15 — went 0-for-2 and allowed a shorthanded goal, the third one the Rangers have allowed in the last four games. They also gave up a power-play goal in two times shorthanded.

“I mean, it’s the difference right now, right?’’ Adam Fox said of the Rangers’ special teams. “The margin’s so thin . . . It’s costing us, and has been for a little bit now.’’

After a scoreless first period in which the Rangers were out-possessed and spent most of the game in their own end of the ice, the momentum swung firmly in favor of the Devils in the second, when the teams started taking penalties.

The Devils’ Justin Dowling took the first, a high-sticking infraction against K’Andre Miller at 5:23, but the Rangers came up empty on the power play.

Then, when Sam Carrick was called for interference at 10:52, Trocheck lost the faceoff to Hischier and the puck got to Luke Hughes, who passed to Meier, who blasted a one-timer past Igor Shesterkin to make it 1-0 at 10:56.

“I kind of win the draw, but it hits off the ref’s foot,’’ Trocheck said. “And then we’re just late getting out to our guys.’’

Fifty-three seconds later, the Rangers got a second power play, but that only made things worse.

Hischier and Jesper Bratt ended up on a two-on-one break and Hischier set up Bratt for a shorthanded goal to put the Devils up 2-0 at 12:23.

Meier’s second goal, at 15:01 of the third period, put the Devils up 3-0.

Hischier scored into an empty net with 3:48 remaining.

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.