The Rangers came in to this game knowing that their head coach David Quinn couldn’t be at the game in person to coach due to COVID protocol so they called back the team’s AHL head coach Kris Knoblauch. In the end, the coaching issue was not a disadvantage for the Rangers
Wirth 12:55 left in the first period, the Rangers started the scoring with an sweet wrist shot by Brendon Lemieux from an excellent feed from Adam Fox to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead.
About 7 minutes, Artemi Panarin let go a slap shot from the left face off circle (assisted by Ryan Strome) that beat Brian Elliott to make the score 2-0 Rangers.
The second period was a nightmare for the Flyers. The Rangers scored 7 goals in the period including 3 straight by Mika Zibanejad to make the score 9-0.
Paul Buchnevich zipped the puck by Brian Elliott 1:38 into the second period from the left face off circle to make the score 3-0 Rangers.
Buchnevich scored again 2 minutes later after his shot tipped off a Flyers skate and it blasted off of Flyers Brian Elliott’s padding and into the net.
Brian Elliott was done for the night after that goal and Carter Hart came in to take over. He didn’t do any better.
Just 7:30 into the period, the Rangers got another goal when Jacob Trouba snapped a shot by Carter Hart, and this opened the flood gates. 8:27 into the period, Mika Zibanejad converted a short-handed breakaway opportunity to make a goal out of it by faking out Carter Hart to make the score 6-0. Zibanejad then scored again off a Artemi Panarin assist that he lifted over Carter Hart to make the score 7-0.
Mika Zibanejad got the natural hat trick when he tipped the puck by Hart again. Filip Chytil finished the second period onslaught with a goal with 21 second left in the period to make the score 9-0 Rangers.
The only question in the third period was whether the Rangers could complete the shut out and yes, they completed the shut out with a final score of 9-0 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night, March 17 against the Flyers.
Flyers fans deserve better, and they have every right to be upset at this team following this defeat. This was a Slaughter, not a defeat
NEXT UP: The 14-10-3 Flyers are back in action on Thursday, March 18 against the 19-7-4 New York Islanders in Brooklyn, NY. Puck drop will be at 7:00 PM EST on NBC Sports Philadelphia.
