Rangers hand victory to NHL-worst Flames for third straight loss

CALGARY, Alberta – Another desperate opponent, another disappointing defeat.

For the second straight game, the Rangers got the win their opponents desperately needed. After falling in overtime to the previously winless Sharks earlier this week, the Blueshirts lost 5-1 to a Flames team that had not won since their first game of the season entering Sunday night’s contest at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

With the win, the Flames snapped an eight-game losing skid.

On the other hand, Rangers lost their third straight match for the second time this season.

The worst reputation an NHL team can have is an easy game on the schedule. Twice now, the Rangers have allowed teams struggling more than they are to come in and get what they need against them.

Both San Jose and the Flames — both ranked 32nd in the NHL at one point this week — looked confident going into the matchup with the Rangers. Every match was played accordingly.

Calgary averaged a league-worst 1.67 goals per game going into Sunday’s contest, but within the first 10 minutes of the game, they scored twice on the Rangers. The Flames ultimately set a new season high of five goals in regulation.

The Rangers’ defensive discipline in the first set of games has evaporated.

Only the offensive struggles continued, as the team scored only one or zero goals for the sixth time during the first 10 matches.

The Rangers gave up the first goal of the game two minutes later for the second time in as many games, when Nazem Kadri scored past Blueshirts goaltender Igor Shesterkin from the slot for an early 1-0 lead.

Controlling the puck for much of the opening frame, the Flames made it 2-0 after Kevin Pahl connected on a shot from the top of the zone. Calgary had 12 shots on Shesterkin during the first 20 minutes, but the Rangers were able to take the lead before halftime.

Noah Lapa scored his first goal of his NHL career to cut the Flames’ lead in half, driving home and burying the puck past Calgary goaltender Dustin Wolfe.

Despite outscoring the home team 13-11 in the middle frame, the Rangers were unable to break through. Igor Sharangovich gave the Flames a 3-1 lead with a goal off the rush, which Shesterkin only got a piece of before finding threads.

The Flames’ shorthanded goal in the third period twisted the knife on an already struggling Rangers team.

After Mika Zibanejad fired a shot on the power play, Calgary jumped out on a two-on-one rush that ended with a Blake Coleman goal.