Rangers lose third straight, playoff hopes all but over

It’s almost over now.

The Rangers’ doomed chase for a playoff spot can come to an end Thursday on Long Island if they don’t beat the rival Islanders at UBS Arena.

Wednesday’s ugly 8-5 loss to the lowly Philadelphia Flyers, in the second-to-last game at the Garden this season, left the Rangers eight points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot with four games remaining. The Rangers will be eliminated with any kind of loss in regulation time, overtime or a shootout.

Tyson Foerster had a hat trick – the third into an empty net – and the Flyers scored six goals in the third period to hand the Rangers their third straight loss.

The game was tied 2-2 entering the third but Philadelphia defenseman Travis Sanheim scored on a rebound at 3:05 to put the Flyers ahead. Jonny Brodzinski’s goal, from a sharp angle and through a screen by Matt Rempe, at 5:38 tied it at 3.

Then J.T. Miller’s one-timer, off a pass from Mika Zibanejad (four assists) at 7:01, put the Rangers in front again. But a defensive breakdown left Jakob Pelletier all alone in front to pop in a rebound against Jonathan Quick (22 saves on 28 shots) to tie it exactly one minute later.

Sean Couturier scored on a rebound at 11:55 to put Philadelphia up 5-4, and Foerster’s second goal, at 15:33, made it 6-4.

The Rangers, with Quick pulled for an extra skater, got within 6-5 on Chris Kreider’s goal with 1:50 left, but Foerster put it away with his third goal with 54 seconds remaining. Owen Tippett scored another empty-netter with 11.7 seconds left to complete the scoring.

Artemi Panarin scored his team-leading 35th goal of the season late in the second period to tie it 2-2 after two periods. He became the first active undrafted player to reach the 300-goal milestone.

Zibanejad was awarded a penalty shot 1:15 into the game after he was hooked by Cam York while on a breakaway. But Zibanejad shot the puck wide on his attempt. According to Hockey Reference, it was the 11th consecutive penalty shot missed by the Rangers, whose last goal on a penalty shot came from Dan Boyle in December, 2015.