Rangers Lose 5 Straight Home Playoff Games for 1st Time

The New York Rangers' 5-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday marked the first time in franchise history that the team has dropped five consecutive home playoff games, per Sportsnet Stats.

Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist suffered through an unusually terrible night in the pivotal Game 4 matchup, getting yanked midway through the second period after surrendering four goals on a mere 18 shots.

The Rangers' playoff woes date back to last year when the team lost its final three home games of the postseason to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals. Over the course of the five consecutive home playoff defeats, New York has been outscored, 18-3.

Furthermore, Thursday's game marked the first time the Rangers had been shut out since a 3-0 loss to the Florida Panthers on Jan. 2.

Despite having avoided many regular-season duds, the Rangers have recently proven to be prone to playoff shutouts—Thursday's goal-less performance marked New York's sixth shutout loss in the last three postseasons.

On the flip side, the Penguins are seeking their first trip to the conference semifinals since 2014, when they coincidentally fell to the Rangers in seven games.

If the Rangers win Game 5 on Saturday, they will have the opportunity to put an end to the streak in Game 6, which would take place at Madison Square Garden on Monday.