Rangers Fail To Seize On Opportunity To Climb In Playoff Hunt With Loss To Canadiens

Jonathan Quick’s stellar performance wasn’t enough for the New York Rangers to escape Canada with two points as they lost 5-4 in overtime to the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday night.

Both the Rangers and Canadiens are in the heat of the playoff hunt, so there were high stakes going into this matchup.

It was an up-and-down affair with New York and Montreal trading goals. The Rangers held a one-goal lead four separate times, but the Canadiens found a way to climb their way back on multiple occasions.

The gameplay was fast-paced and it almost felt as if the two teams felt the magnitude of how important this matchup truly was.

New York entered the third period with a 4-3 lead, getting goals from Alexis Lafrenière, Will Cuylle, Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider.

However, Montreal pushed the tempo in the third period and had the Rangers on the ropes, ultimately tying the game.

After a few minutes of intense overtime play, Patrik Laine delivered the dagger, bringing the Bell Centre into a frenzy.

“We came here and we wanted the two points and we didn’t get them,” Zibanejad said. “It’s obviously disappointing, especially having a lead in the third and not being able to close it out.”

The Rangers wouldn’t have gotten any points if it wasn’t for Jonathan Quick. The 38-year-old goalie made 33 saves on the night and really kept the Blueshirts in the contest, especially in the third period.

Despite the loss, Peter Laviolette was pleased with the effort his team put on display.

“It’s tough to leave the points on the table and we are searching for points, but the guys gave everything,” Laviolette said. “We gave everything for 65 minutes.”

The Rangers will be back in action on Tuesday night against the Ottawa Senators.