Rangers understand desperation of their situation against Devils

GREENBURGH — One by one, from all corners of the dressing room, the Rangers offered variations on a theme:

Win. Win a game. Win to keep their season alive.

“That’s all that matters,” Tyler Motte said after the Rangers’ practice Friday at the MSG Training Center. “We have to find a way to win a hockey game. Backs up against the wall doesn’t matter.”

The Rangers trail the Devils three games to two in their best-of-seven first-round playoff series. Game 6 is Saturday night at the Garden.

Said Motte, “We have to find a way to win.”

Especially after being outclassed by the Devils, 4-0, in Thursday night’s Game 5 at Prudential Center. The Rangers were outshot 43-23, including an astounding 20-2 in the third period, and were out-attempted 67-57.

“The script was flipped from the first couple games,” Chris Kreider said after Game 5. “They won the special-teams battle. They clogged up the neutral zone and resulted in a lopsided victory. So [we have to] win one game here. Win one game at home.”

Which is not new terrain for the Rangers. During their Eastern Conference finals run last spring, the Rangers faced 3-2 series deficits three times. They rallied to win their first- and second-round series against Pittsburgh and Carolina before falling to Tampa Bay in Game 6 of the conference finals.

“Playoffs are just composed of highs and lows,” Kreider said after Thursday night’s loss. “We’re at a low point now, and you’re going to face adversity if you want to go on a deep run. And I mean, if we can’t climb our way out of this, then we didn’t deserve to go on a deep run.”

In order to go on a deep run, it would be beneficial for the Rangers to score, which has become a significant issue in Games 3-5. After winning Games 1 and 2 by identical 5-1 scores, the Rangers have been outscored 9-2 in the last three games after the Devils put Akira Schmid in goal.

To that end, coach Gerard Gallant reconfigured his forward lines at practice. Kreider, Mika Zibanejad and Vladimir Tarasenko comprised the top line, followed by a second unit of Alexis Lafreniere, Vincent Trocheck and Patrick Kane. Artemi Panarin, Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko formed the third line, and the fourth line of Motte, Barclay Goodrow and Jimmy Vesey remained intact.

“A little bit of both,” Gallant said when asked if the changes to the forward corps were an attempt to jump-start the team as a whole or specific individuals. “But more the latter part.”

Offensive production from forwards who do not have the surname Kreider has become a significant problem for the Rangers. After scoring a goal in each of the first two games, Tarasenko has been held off the scoresheet in the last three. Panarin and Zibanejad have two assists each in the first five games. Trocheck has scored one goal. Lafreniere does not have a point.

“We [talked] about the stuff that we have done well over the year,” Zibanejad said. “The way that got us here, really. Execution is a big thing. Just go and play. I think there has been a couple unfortunate bounces, but again, just got to keep playing and keep trusting ourselves.”