Dejected $68,000,000 NY Rangers forward makes feelings extremely clear after dismal 8-5 loss

New York Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad shared his thoughts about the team's dismal play following the 8-5 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday. The defeat dropped the Rangers to 36-35-7 and pushed them eight points behind the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference with four games left.

Zibanejad, who has an eight-year, $68 million contract, admitted that the Rangers have struggled all season and that it’s tough to keep finding new ways to explain losses.

“We haven't really helped ourselves. Let's be honest. We haven't really helped ourselves over the last couple weeks. We've been giving some chances,” Zibanejad said.

“I felt a couple weeks ago, I felt like it was in our hands still to take care of the games that we have, but we haven't been able to do that. We're in this position. We're not in this position purely or solely because of tonight. It stinks."

Jonny Brodzinski, J.T. Miller, Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck and Chris Kreider scored for the Rangers, while Zibanejad made four assists. Goaltender Jonathan Quick stopped 21 shots.

Zibanejad also admitted that the performance against the Flyers wasn’t up to par and emphasized the need to rest and regroup before taking on the Islanders on Thursday.

Tyson Foerster (three goals), Travis Sanheim, Jakob Pelletier, Sean Couturier, Garnet Hathaway and Owen Tippett also scored for the Flyers, while Aleksei Kolosov had 24 saves in the win.

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Game recap: Rangers 8-5 loss to Flyers

Trocheck opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal at 11:33 of the first period. Foerster then scored from the left face-off circle to tie the game at 9:03 of the second.

Hathaway made it 2-1 Flyers with another shorthanded goal at 16:43 before Panarin leveled the scores at 18:32 with a backhanded shot.

"I didn't like the way we attacked the period. The game going into that period, it's in the balance of who is going to decide it. They played a better period than we did. We made mistakes, and they ended up in the back of our net," Rangers HC Peter Laviolette said.

Sanheim scored right of the net to give 3-2 lead at 3:05 of the third, but Brodzinski (5:38) and Miller (7:01) answered quickly to put the Rangers 4-3 up. Pelletier tied it 4-4 at 8:01 from a rebound before Couturier put the Flyers 5-4 up at 11:55. Foerster then scored his second goal at 15:33.

Chris Kreider brought New York within one late in regulation, but Foerster completed his hat-trick with an empty-netter at 19:05. Owen Tippett then sealed the game with another empty-net goal seconds later for an 8-5 win for Philadelphia.