WATCH: Rangers Rack Up Three Separate Penalties In One Sequence As Woes Continue
The Rangers' issues have seen them plummet down to last place in the East
It has been a rough season for the New York Rangers, and, on a night when they kept one of their core players out of the lineup as rumors circulate about a trade, it got rougher.
The Rangers visited Long Island on Wednesday night to take on Matthew Schaefer and the solid New York Islanders, but they did it without forward Artemi Panarin. It was revealed around the time GM Chris Drury sent his letter to fans that the Blueshirts will not re-sign him, which meant that ideally, they'd be moving the Russian star before the trade deadline.
With the Breadman in the pressbox Wednesday night, you've got to think a deal is pretty close.
READ: BEAVER STADIUM TRANSFORMED INTO JAW‑DROPPING ICE RINK FOR COLLEGE HOCKEY SHOWDOWN
We need to jump ahead to the second period with the Islanders up 2-1, because this is when the Rangers did something so bad, it's almost impressive.
It started when Rangers center Sam Carrick tripped Islanders forward Kyle MacLean at the side of the net.
Up went the arm, and the Islanders pulled the goalie and sent out an extra attacker for the delayed penalty.
That's as routine as routine gets, but Patrick Roy's boys did a heck of a job of playing keep away, and the delayed penalty lasted for quite some time.
Maybe he was frustrated by the initial call, but Carrick earned his second penalty when he cross-checked Matt Barzal from behind and sent him to the ice.
Of course, Rangers tough guy Matt Rempe happened to be on the ice at the time, and he must've thought that if his team was doing penalties, he was getting in on it and boarded Islander Marc Gatcomb.
That is three completely separate minor penalties in a single sequence, and the Islanders made them pay, with Barzal potting one on the ensuing power play to go up 3-1.
In the end, the Islanders took this one 5-2 and are now six points clear of the Philadelphia Flyers for third in the Metropolitan Division.
As for the Rangers, they are dead last in the Eastern Conference.