An Avalanche of Heartbreak: Rangers' point streak ends in gut-wrenching loss

The New York Rangers had been riding high on a 10-game point streak that revived their season and put them squarely back in the Eastern Conference wild-card conversation. The Rangers rallied from a two goal deficit twice on Sunday, and were poised to keep the momentum rolling before heartbreak struck. In the final seconds of regulation, Artturi Lehkonen scored for the Colorado Avalanche, dealing a devastating 5-4 loss to the Blueshirts at Madison Square Garden.

It was a gut-punch reminder that while resilience has carried them so far and there’s still work to be done to secure their playoff dreams.

Rangers Strike Back After Avalanche Onslaught in Action-Packed First Period

It didn't take long for the action to heat up at MSG. The Rangers started with a solid forecheck, but an offensive-zone turnover by Mika Zibanejad led to an early save from Igor Shesterkin just seconds later. Colorado's Artturi Lehkonen had the best chance early but fired wide, keeping things scoreless.

The Rangers' fourth line got an early shift, with Matt Rempe pinning Samuel Girard to the boards and setting the physical tone. Nathan MacKinnon tried to weave his magic, but Will Borgen, fresh off signing a five-year, $4.1 million extension yesterday, blocked his backhander to keep the Avalanche at bay.

Despite five blocked shots by the Rangers in the first four minutes, they didn't register a shot on goal until Artemi Panarin's effort at the five-minute mark was quickly stopped by Mackenzie Blackwood.

The Avalanche struck first when Jack Drury, wearing his uncle Chris Drury's old No. 18, tipped in Keaton Middleton's shot for his first goal as a member Colorado's roster. The goal was also Middleton's first NHL point.

Just 41 seconds later, Cale Makar made it 2-0 with a perfectly placed shot off an assist from MacKinnon, who set it up while falling. Martin Necas picked up an assist less than 48 hours after being recently acquired in a blockbuster trade from the Carolina Hurricanes alongside Drury and draft picks on Friday, with superstar Mikko Rantanen going to the Carolina Hurricanes. The deal also saw the Canes get Taylor Hall from the Chicago Blackhawks for a 2025 third-round pick.

Down 2-0, the Blueshirts responded with their bottom six leading the charge. Sam Carrick cleaned up a rebound off a Rempe shot to cut the lead in half.

Moments later, Alexis Lafrenière and Vincent Trocheck connected on a brilliant give-and-go, tying the game at 2-2. Shesterkin's big save on Miles Wood at the other end started the sequence, and Panarin's perfect breakout pass set up Lafrenière's patience as he waited until Girard went down. Then, he made the pass around him to a Trocheck, who had his stick hard on the ice and flipped the pass into the back of the net for the hosts' second tally in 36 seconds.

Colorado reclaimed the lead late in the period on the power play after Adam Fox was called for holding. Necas won a puck battle in the corner and set up MacKinnon, who found Makar for a blast through traffic. It gave Makar his second of the frame and Necas his 300th career point. The Avalanche capitalized on their speed and puck movement to make it 3-2.

The Rangers pushed back, with Filip Chytil and veteran Chris Kreider creating some solid chances, but Blackwood stood tall, preserving the visitors' advantage through 20 minutes.

Rangers Hang Tight: Momentum Brewing for a Third-Period Push

The second period began with Shesterkin making an early save just 22 seconds in, setting the tone for a slower-paced middle frame. Blackwood matched with a stop on Kaliyev, but neither team found much rhythm early on. Braden Schneider broke up a potential Avalanche threat a few minutes in, keeping things close.

Then, controversy hit. Adam Edstrom was sent off for interference, but the replay on the video board showed no contact. After some confusion, the officials eventually rewound the tape and confirmed the penalty. The Avalanche's power play had the Rangers pinned in their zone for nearly two minutes, with Necas hitting the crossbar on a rocket, forcing Shesterkin into a big save moments later. Jonathan Drouin narrowly missed a tap-in, and Colorado came inches from extending their lead again, but the Blueshirts held on to kill the penalty.

Despite flashes of life, frustration grew for the Blueshirts. Panarin struggled on multiple shifts, looking gassed in the defensive zone and whiffing on a golden one-timer opportunity set up by Fox. Things unraveled further when the breadman turned the puck over on a weak clearing attempt, leading to Jusso Parssinen burying a one-timer to make it 4-2 Avalanche with under four minutes left: the Rangers' inability to manage the puck and over-reliance on passing burned them where it mattered most.

The Avalanche displayed their north-south speed and smart, simple plays, while the Rangers looked like too many passengers struggled to keep up. However, the home team wasn't finished yet.