Rangers fold to Islanders late, suffer third straight loss

The Islanders have been a force in third periods this season. The Rangers have had trouble holding leads. The two teams played to their season’s profiles Tuesday night, and things turned out badly for the Rangers.

Playing their second game this season in their reverse retro Lady Liberty jerseys, the Rangers took a two-goal lead into the third period against their suburban rivals, only to surrender three goals in the final 20 minutes and suffer a stunning 4-3 loss in front of a shocked Madison Square Garden crowd.

Anders Lee scored the winning goal with 5:30 left in regulation to give the Isles their second come-from-behind win in as many nights, and hand the reeling Rangers (6-5-3) their third straight loss. The Islanders (9-5-0) have won both games against their rivals this season.

“I don’t think it’s lost on anybody, the start we’ve had,’’ Rangers captain Jacob Trouba said afterward. “Time is a-ticking. We don’t have all the time in the world. We’ve got to find a way to play a better game.’’

The Islanders, who rallied from 3-1 down after two periods in their overtime win Monday against the Calgary Flames, found themselves again down 3-1 after two periods against the Rangers, who have inexplicably struggled to protect leads.

“We’ve been saying the same thing the last few games,’’ Rangers defenseman Adam Fox said. “I mean, we bring it for 40 minutes, 30, 50. But teams capitalize if you give them a few chances in a game. And especially being up 3-1, we’ve got to shut it down a little better.’’

Adam Pelech’s goal 14 seconds into the third period got the comeback started for the Islanders, and having their lead cut to 3-2 that soon into the third period “was a little shocker on us,’’ Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said.

Gallant seemed calm after the game, talking about how hard his team competed and how he wasn’t displeased with their performance. He even went as far as to say he thought his team “deserved’’ to win the game.

“We deserved the game tonight,’’ he said. “We didn’t get it. I liked the way we played, competed, battled hard. The Islanders are the best team in the league in the third period. They found a way to get three goals again in the third. But I liked the way we played most of the game.’’

Gallant’s apparent calmness, though, covered an apparent anger as he believed that the officials played a part in the final two Islander goals.

First, with the Rangers up, 3-2, Filip Chytil was called for a hooking penalty at 11:42 of the period that, based on the replay showed on the video board, didn’t look to be much. Brock Nelson scored on the ensuing power play to tie it, 3-3 at 12:46.

Then on Lee’s game-winner, the Islanders’ Oliver Wahlstrom tripped Kaapo Kakko along the boards, but there was no penalty call. Trouba tried to clear the puck, but failed to get it out, and Alexander Romanov gloved it down and passed it to the slot for Lee, who beat Igor Shesterkin for the game-winner.

“Did you guys not see it?’’ Gallant said when asked about the Lee goal. “I’m not going to say anything about it. But you saw that the last two goals, what the situation was.’’

The collapse undid the work the Rangers did in building a 3-1 lead in the first 40 minutes. After Kyle Palmieri’s power play goal at 6:04 of the first period put the Isles in front, Chytil tied it at 11:36 of the first period, and power-play goals by Chris Kreider, 22 seconds into the second period and by  Vincent Trocheck, at 13:47, put them in control.

Unfortunately for them, they couldn’t hold on.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.