from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

This one is going to reverberate within the walls of the Rangers’ executive suite this summer. Or at least it should.

Because on yet another night opposing a team that was dedicated to taking away their time and space, in yet another game where will was going to be a more important ingredient than skill, the Blueshirts came up puny.

It was 4-0 Islanders at the Garden on Thursday in one that was even less competitive from the start than last Tuesday’s 6-1 humbling at the Coliseum. So this is nothing new. Last Tuesday was nothing new either if you paid attention to the Bubble Series against the ’Canes last August.

Once again, the Rangers’ marquee players, the ones with upper-echelon talent, the veteran ones who are supposed to show the way to the phalanx of youngsters, had nothing. Artemi Panarin was shockingly inept and never once was a factor in this one, failing to send one shot on net. Mika Zibanejad was slightly better but not by a margin distinctive enough to make the slightest bit of difference.

The playoff dream has all but evaporated, the Blueshirts slipping six points behind the Bruins and seven points behind the Islanders. The tragic number for elimination is five points as pertains to Boston. This almost seems like an afterthought.

Then again, the Rangers themselves seemed to treat their playoff hopes as an afterthought from the moment the puck was dropped.

continued

Catch the game highlights below.