NHL

Tough-luck night for Zuccarello as hole deepens

Mats Zuccarello should have known it was going to be a rough night for the Rangers when he stood just inches from the net and seemed to have an almost certain goal stopped by the post and Jonathan Quick.

“We had a couple of chances and that was a good one,” Zuccarello said after the Rangers were forced into an elimination scenario following Monday night’s 3-0 loss to the Kings at the Garden. “It’s a frustrating loss.”

That’s especially true for Zuccarello and linemate Derick Brassard. The duo has combined for nine goals in the playoffs and both seemed like they were in excellent position to get the Rangers on the board Monday, only to be robbed — either by Quick or fate.

The pair took nine shots in the Game 3 loss and none found the back of the net.

Brassard had several opportunities, especially in the second period, and Quick was repeatedly up to the challenge, making a terrific stick save on Brassard at one point.

“We just couldn’t score,” coach Alain Vigneault said with his team on the verge of seeing its season end.

Despite the long odds, Zuccarello insisted the series wasn’t over.

“I still feel like we’re a good team,” Zuccarello said. “We’re down 3-0 and we’ve got to win four straight. We’ve just got to believe it.”

And while the Rangers have overcome two-game deficits this postseason, they haven’t faced a hole like this. The Kings have, with their first-round comeback against the Sharks potentially setting an example for the Blueshirts.

“We’re going to fight until the end,” Zuccarello said. “We’ve got to believe. It’s been done before. Harder things have been done before.”

But he was realistic.

“It’s going to be tough,” he said. “We can’t go out and play Game 4 thinking we’ve lost the final.”
And like many of his teammates, Zuccarello was hoping for better luck on Wednesday.

“We just didn’t have the right bounces,” Zuccarello said. “I feel like we played a good game, but it doesn’t really matter when you lose.”