3 NY Rangers players who disappointed in Game 4’s 3-2 loss feat. Mika Zibanejad

The New York Rangers could not pull off a comeback, losing Game 4, 3-2 in OT to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.

Sam Reinhart fired a rocket from the slot to even the series at two games apiece as the series now heads back to Madison Square Garden for Game 5 on Thursday.

As the dust settles from another thrilling overtime contest, here's a closer look at three disappointing NY Rangers players from Game 4.

3 NY Rangers who disappointed in Game 4

#1. Blake Wheeler

Blake Wheeler’s return to the NY Rangers’ lineup is an inspirational tale. However, he failed to make any sort of significant impact on the game.

Wheeler was mostly on the fourth line and managed to get 9:18 of ice time. He did not register a shot on goal, nor did he provide the type of play expected from a solid fourth-line winger.

However, the biggest issue with Wheeler was the penalty he got in overtime. Wheeler hooked Panthers’ captain Aleksander Barkov as he broke away from the NY Rangers’ defense. The hook was close to being called a penalty shot.

Instead, Wheeler got a two-minute minor, and Reinhart buried the winner. It’s difficult to see Wheeler returning to the lineup for Game 5 following what happened on Tuesday. He and Matt Rempe sat on the bench most of the night, generating only one significant play late in the third period.

#2. Mika Zibanejad

Zibanejad is a key member of the Rangers’ top six. But tonight, he went silent. While he displayed a strong physical presence and generated six shots on the net, he is yet to register a point in the series.

Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider could also be included on this list, as they haven’t been generating the offense the Rangers need to get crucial wins.

The Rangers need to get their top unit scoring at the same rate it did during the regular season. Of course, the Rangers have scoring depth, but as evidenced in Game 4, it’s not enough to secure wins against Florida.

#3. Jacob Trouba

For all the controversy, Jacob Trouba has proven to be a defensive liability for the NY Ranger. His physical play has been crucial throughout the series, but it’s been key moments in which Trouba has let his team down.

In Game 4, Trouba got burned on both powerplay goals. First, the Carter Verhaeghe goal in the second period resulted from a misread by Trouba and K’Andre Miller. The misread allowed Verhaeghe to stand unattended at the side of the net and bat the puck in the air.

Then, Reinhart’s overtime winner resulted from an overly aggressive play in which Trouba drove a check hard into the boards, freeing up space in the slot for Reinhart to tee up a one-timer.

While Trouba’s physical play has allowed the Rangers to keep the Panthers back at times, Game 4 was proof that Trouba is slow and gets out of position often enough for the Panthers to burn the Rangers.