Rangers lose in overtime as David Quinn gets first win with Sharks

There were boos when the Madison Square Garden video board flashed a shot of former Rangers coach David Quinn during a break in the action Thursday night, with the message “Thank You Coach Quinn.’’

Maybe they weren’t thunderous boos, but they certainly were audible.

Later, when Quinn’s new team, the San Jose Sharks, used Erik Karlsson’s goal 49 seconds into overtime to stun the Rangers, 3-2, in overtime, there was no booing, only stunned silence.

The goal capped a confusing, frustrating night for the Rangers, who dominated the first two periods and then were thoroughly outplayed in the third. In the overtime, a giveaway by defenseman Adam Fox in his own end led to the Sharks gaining possession before Karlsson scored his second goal of the season.

“That third period, I have no idea where that came from,’’ Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said. “I mean, it was just a total collapse. It’s embarrassing, actually.’’

The Rangers were trying to start a season 3-0 at home for the first time since 2009-10 when they won their first four home games, but after dominating the previously winless Sharks (1-5-0) in the first period — outshooting them 21-9 — the score was tied 2-2. And then the Sharks took over the third period, outshooting the Rangers 16-2.

Only a brilliant performance by goaltender Igor Shesterkin allowed the Rangers (3-1-1) to even reach overtime and take away a point.

The vaunted Rangers power play, which has been an irresistible force so far this season, ran into the immovable object that is the Sharks’ penalty kill.

The Rangers entered having scored on 5 of 15 man-advantage opportunities in their first four games, but they went 0-for-5 against the Sharks, who have yet to allow a power-play goal this season.

“We lost the special teams battle,’’ Chris Kreider said. “We had an opportunity to kind of put our brand on the game early, I think, a bunch of power play opportunities.’’

But four first-period power plays netted them nothing, while the Sharks capitalized on their first power play of the game, with Logan Couture banging in a rebound to put San Jose ahead 1-0 at 6:02 of the first period.

“To give that team four power plays in the first period and still survive and come out [leading] 1-0 was an incredible accomplishment,’’ Quinn said. “I’m very proud of our guys. It’s been a tough go of it, we’ve been a fragile group, but we showed some mental toughness tonight.’’

The Rangers tied it 1-1 when Filip Chytil outraced Luke Kunin to a loose puck in the neutral zone and scored off the rush at 1:50 of the second period. Then they took the lead 2-1 when Artemi Panarin one-timed a return pass from Fox past Sharks goalie James Reimer on a pretty 3-on-2 rush at 9:05 of the second for his third goal of the season.

In his media briefing before the game, Quinn had called the Rangers “a legit Stanley Cup team,’’ who he said “can win the whole thing.’’ But despite being outshot 13-4 by the Rangers in the middle period, the Sharks tied the score 2-2 on a goal by Radim Simek at 13:10.

In the third, the Sharks just took over, and there didn’t seem to be anything the Rangers could do to stop them.

“That’s been a problem for us early, is playing the full 60 minutes the way we want to play,’’ Jacob Trouba said. “We’ve yet to do that, and that’s going to be our focus going forward, is playing a consistent game the whole game.’’

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.