Rangers allow six goals in third period, lose third straight as playoff hopes all but over
Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick (32) reacts after a goal by Philadelphia Flyers right wing Garnet Hathaway (19) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. Credit: Noah K. Murray
It’s almost over now.
The Rangers’ doomed chase for a playoff spot will come to an end Thursday on Long Island if they don’t beat the rival Islanders at UBS Arena.
Wednesday’s ugly 8-5 loss to the Flyers at the Garden left the Rangers eight points behind the Canadiens for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot with four games left. The Rangers will be eliminated with any kind of loss in regulation time, overtime or a shootout.
Tyson Foerster had a hat trick and the Flyers scored six goals in the third period to hand the Rangers their third straight loss.
“I didn’t like the way we attacked the [third] period,’’ coach Peter Laviolette said. “The game’s going into that period, it’s in the balance of who’s going to decide it. They played a better period than we did. We made mistakes and ended up in the back of our net.’’
Mika Zibanejad, who had four assists, said: “Over the last couple weeks . . . I felt like it was in our hands, still, [if we] take care of the games that we had. But we haven’t been able to do that.’’
Tied at 4 midway through the third, Sean Couturier scored on a rebound at 11:55 to put Philadelphia up 5-4. Foerster’s second goal, at 15:33, made it 6-4.
With Jonathan Quick (22 saves on 28 shots) pulled for an extra skater, the Rangers got within 6-5 on Chris Kreider’s goal with 1:50 left. But Foerster put it away with his third goal with 54 seconds remaining, and Owen Tippett scored another empty-netter with 11.7 seconds left to complete the scoring.
Artemi Panarin scored his team-leading 35th goal of the season late in the second period to tie it 2-2 after two periods. He became the first active undrafted player to reach the 300-goal milestone.
Zibanejad was awarded a penalty shot 1:15 into the game after he was hooked by Cam York while on a breakaway. But Zibanejad shot the puck wide on his attempt. According to Hockey Reference, it was the 11th consecutive penalty shot missed by the Rangers, whose last goal on a penalty shot came from Dan Boyle in December, 2015.
Urho Vaakanainen had two assists for the Rangers.
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.
