Rangers revert to form in embarrassing loss to Flames

Have no fear Rangers fans. The team reverted to what most expected sooner or later, pretenders.

A sweep of a four-game road trip was ruined on Monday night by an inept, uninspired performance from a Rangers squad that that looked like a shadow of what was expected of them.

The Calgary Flames hemmed the Rangers down in a 5-1 decision.

Andrew Mangiapane struck twice for Calgary.

Jacob Markstrom made 28 saves for the Calgary win.

“Since we started 0-1-1, we needed to get some wins under our belt,” Markstrom said. “We’re just a hardworking team. I think we’ve been playing much better, not giving up many chances, and the chances they get, we’re clearing the rebounds. Overall, it’s not going to be super fancy, back and forth. We want more control and to come together as five. That’s when we’ve been successful this year so far.”

The easiest way to put this effort in perspective is a simple word, stupid. The Rangers played stupid hockey.

“We just made so many bad turnovers in the first period, trying to make cute plays instead of the strong plays up the boards, and it really cost us,” New York head coach Gerard Gallant said. “Even though it was 1-0 after the first, we made a lot of turnovers, and [Shesterkin] had to be unbelievable in the first period. I think that really cost us the hockey game. Even though we got back in the third period and made it 2-1, the first period was a tough one to watch.”

Kevin Rooney was the lone goal scorer in a game where nearly everyone on the roster disappeared.

“I just don’t think we put it together for 60 minutes, unfortunately,” the Rangers’ Ryan Strome said. “They’re a team that plays pretty sound defensively, and as soon as there is a turnover, they strike. We made too many turnovers and fueled their offense a little bit.”

Understatement of the new season.

Blake Coleman and Mikael Backlund picked up a goal apiece and two points in the win.

“I’m stopping some pucks in the past two games; I didn’t do much of that in the first two games,” Markstrom said. “We’re playing great, and I’m playing better too. I wasn’t happy with my performances at the start.”

Christopher Tanev gave Calgary a 1-0 lead in the first period.