MONTREAL — How much of it is fault and how much is misfortune is irrelevant now, as the Rangers’ are in the midst of an alarming skid where key players are falling to injury every day.
Saturday night, it was a 3-0 loss to the Canadiens at the Bell Center, making the Rangers 0-2-1 in the past three, their worst stretch of this lockout-shortened season. And midway through the second period, they lost stalwart defenseman Ryan McDonagh when he was face-planted into the backboards by Max Pacioretty.
McDonagh skated off the ice holding his face, and did not return. There was no update from the team immediately after the game.
That was followed by defenseman Dan Girardi taking a roaring slap shot from P.K. Subban to his left ankle in the waning minutes of the game. Girardi tried to call for the referee for an injury stoppage, and was so hurt he couldn’t get off the ice on his own power. He did not return, either.
The Rangers already were playing without superstar forward Rick Nash, who still was in New York suffering from an undisclosed injury that has kept him out of this three-game slide. Penalty-kill forward Darroll Powe is out indefinitely with a concussion, Arron Asham missed his second game in a row with back spasms, and defenseman Michael Del Zotto missed his first game with a lower-body injury suffered in Thursday’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Senators.
So the Rangers dressed four forwards who had played for the Connecticut Whale (AHL) this season, including 20-year-old Christian Thomas, who solid in his NHL debut.
But ineffective center Brian Boyle was the same, as he is clearly battling through a physical ailment that neither he nor the team would like to admit is hampering him. That was coupled with star center Brad Richards having another invisible game. With that scenario, the expectations can only be so high.
Though it wasn’t through a lack of effort, by the end of the second period, the Rangers were toast.
After a scoreless first where the Rangers mostly dictated play and held the Canadiens to three shots, the flood gates opened.
The first of three unanswered Canadiens’ goals came just 1:20 into the frame, with a Montreal power play having just ended. Hemmed in their own zone, Rangers defenseman Anton Stralman lost the puck behind his net and it ended up on the blade of Habs’ sniper Eric Cole, who netted one off the leg of a sprawling Matt Gilroy.
With 12:40 remaining, McDonagh was off to the locker room and the gaping hole he left in the Rangers backline became even more apparent.
Less than five minutes after McDonagh was out, Canadiens’ rookie Alex Galchenyuk streaked on net and backhanded a shot that was tipped up in the air and floated over the shoulder of goalie Martin Biron, making it 2-0.
It was an ominous sign that turned even worse with just under two minutes remaining in the period, as Marian Gaborik took a hooking penalty. With a little bit a pizzazz to tie a bow on the contest, the Canadiens passed beautifully on the power play and Lars Eller ended up snapping one through Biron’s legs for a 3-0 lead.
So the Rangers streak of having not won in the Bell Center since March 17, 2009, continued.
bcyrgalis@nypost.com