Mika Zibanejad makes feelings known as NY Rangers squander 3rd period lead in 5-4 OT loss to Montreal Canadiens

New York Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad shared his thoughts after the team's 5-4 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday.

The matchup was a back-and-forth battle, but the Rangers struggled to maintain their lead, blowing a one-goal advantage four times throughout the game.

The turning point came when Habs' Juraj Slafkovsky scored at 12:52 in the third period, setting the game up for Patrik Laine's game-winning goal at 3:20 into the extra period.

After the game, Mika Zibanejad reflected on the team's performance, noting that while they played well for the first two periods, they became too defensive in the third. The shift allowed the Canadiens to gain momentum, ultimately leading to the tying goal.

"We did it well in the first and second, but I think we sat back a little too much in the third. We didn't do much offensively, and in the third, we were playing simple but way too defensively," Zibanejad said.

"They gained momentum from that and obviously got the tying goal. In overtime, we had chances to win, but it's tough. We played pretty well in the first 40 minutes and put ourselves in a good spot on the road to win, but we didn’t get it done. We’ll take the point and head home," he added.

Mika Zibanejad acknowledged that earning a point in an overtime loss is beneficial, but he expressed disappointment that the team was unable to accumulate the full two points, especially after holding a lead in the third period.

"We came here for the two points and didn't get them, so it's disappointing, especially having a lead in the third and not being able to close it out. We’ll go home, reset tomorrow, and get ready for Tuesday," he said.

Zibanejad has accumulated 28 points through nine goals and 19 assists in 46 games this season.

Mika Zibanejad and Rangers face a key matchup next

After earning a point against the Canadiens on Sunday's loss, the Rangers moved up to the fifth spot in the Metro Division standings, surpassing the Philadelphia Flyers.

On Tuesday, Mika Zibanejad and the New York Rangers face a key matchup against the Ottawa Senators at MSG. The Blueshirts only trail the Sens by four points in the East's wild card top spot.

The puck drops at 7 p.m. ET.