Rangers Criticized by Twitter for Shutout Loss to Devils in NHL Playoffs Game 5

The New York Rangers are one game away from elimination—or one game away from tying the first-round series, depending on your level of optimism.

After the New Jersey Devils shut out the Rangers 4-0 on April 27 in a crushing Game 5, that optimism seemed to be at a season-long low in New York. The Devils lead the series, 3-2.

The Rangers have now been held to two goals in their last three games.

New Jersey's Ondrej Palat opened scoring in the first 39 seconds after the Rangers' structure crumbled around a defensive-zone faceoff.

The Devils goals kept coming. Erik Haula converted on a power play. Dawson Mercer tallied on a shorthanded odd-man rush. Haula scored again, seconds after the Rangers pulled their goaltender in a desperate bid with five minutes left.

In the end, New Jersey nearly doubled New York's shot total, 43 to 23.

The Rangers appeared to get increasingly frustrated throughout the third period, but despite several scraps, New York struggled to get out of its own zone as the minutes ticked down in the final frame.

As the Prudential Center shook with mocking "Igor" chants from Devils fans, Rangers fans defended their goaltender. Igor Shesterkin has made 85 saves on 96 shots for a .924 save percentage throughout the Rangers' last three losses.

The Rangers face the Devils again for Game 6 at Madison Garden on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET. New York's historically dangerous scorers like Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane will look to get the Rangers' offense back on track as they fight to regain the dominance Rangers fans saw in Games 1 and 2.

That will not be easy against the Devils, who looked every inch the faster and younger team during Thursday night's shutout loss.