"Loser talk" "We’re gonna fu**in lose": NHL fans puzzled over Chris Kreider's take on Rangers' playoff situation

The New York Rangers are in a precarious position in their Eastern Conference second-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Despite holding a 3-2 lead, the Rangers have seen their advantage dwindle after losing two consecutive games. This includes a 4-1 defeat in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden.

In the aftermath of the loss, Rangers forward Chris Kreider offered his perspective on the team's situation.

"If you had told me we'd be 3-2 against the second-best team in the league with an opportunity to close it out, it's a pretty good spot to be in. So, just go down there and be better, be more detailed, work for each other, and find a way to win a game," NY Rangers reporter Vince Z. Mercogliano quoted Kreider on X.

Many Rangers fans took issue with Kreider's optimistic outlook and perceived it as an excuse after losing a winnable game on home ice.

"Loser talk, there’s a reason why he didn’t get picked as captain," one fan tweeted in response to Kreider's quote on social media.

We're gonna fu**in lose this series holy shit," another fan tweeted.

Here are some other mixed fan reactions:

"We were up 3-0, one period to close it out. They better do it in game 6 or this series is over," one fan tweeted.

"Huh?!! Calling them the best team in the league when WE won the presidents trophy. This team has depleted," another fan tweeted.

"People don’t like this for some reason but I actually think he’s right," a fan tweeted.

"That’s what you say when your up 3-2. It’s not what you think when you’re up 3-0," another user tweeted.

New York Rangers 4-1 loss to the Hurricanes in Game 5: A third-period collapse

Despite holding a 1-0 lead heading into the third period, the New York Rangers couldn't maintain their advantage against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Rangers opened the scoring. A short-handed goal from Jacob Trouba at 6:23 of the second period gave them a 1-0 lead that they carried into the final frame. However, the Hurricanes retaliated in the third, scoring three goals in 6:23 to take control of the game.

Jordan Staal kicked off the Hurricanes' scoring spree, tying the game 1-1 at 3:33 of the third period. Just three minutes later, Evgeny Kuznetsov gave Carolina a 2-1 lead at 6:39. The Hurricanes continued to apply pressure, and Jordan Martinook extended their lead to 3-1 at 9:56.

Martin Necas secured the win for the Hurricanes by scoring an empty-net goal at 16:29.

New York struggled to generate offense throughout the game, registering their fewest shots in the playoffs this season with just 21. After a promising first period, the Rangers managed only 12 shots in the final two periods.