Rangers’ gap with Avalanche on full display in loss that extends skid to three games

DENVER — This was the type of game that exposed the deficiencies in the Rangers’ lineup.

Going up against the NHL-leading Avalanche, the Rangers may have been able to keep it close thanks to some timely scoring and goalie Igor Shesterkin’s heroics, but the discrepancy between the two clubs was apparent in their empty-net abetted 6-3 loss Thursday night.

The Blueshirts actually took the lead twice against a Colorado team that has yet to lose in regulation at home this season.

When it came down to the pivotal moments, however, the Avalanche had the game-breaking talent to distinctly separate themselves.

Colorado is riding a seven-game win streak and sitting atop the league with 33 points.

Coming out on the right side of the special teams battle still wasn’t enough to be the difference for the Rangers. In addition to captain J.T. Miller capitalizing on both of the Rangers’ power plays, the Avs only scored on one of their five man-advantage opportunities.

Still, skating nearly 10 minutes shorthanded did the Rangers zero favors.

Exactly 30 seconds after Miller scored his second power-play goal of the game to even the score at three-all, Nathan MacKinnon backhanded a rebound off the post past Shesterkin to regain the one-goal lead in the third period.

The Avalanche simply had more difference makers than the Rangers.

The Rangers’ power play immediately rebounded from an 0-for-2 showing in Vegas with a beautiful goal early in the game.

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Working the puck around the zone seconds into the man advantage, Mika Zibanejad one-timed a feed from Adam Fox to Miller at the back post. The Rangers captain tapped it in with ease to take a 1-0 lead less than two-and-a-half minutes into the game.

It was a relatively strong first period for the Blueshirts, especially when you consider the strength of the opponent.

A D-zone turnover from Artemi Panarin, however, capped the opening 20 minutes on a sour note. The star Russian wing errantly flipped the puck to the middle of the ice, giving the Avalanche possession again before MacKinnon tapped in a Martin Necas pass that deflected off Vladislav Gavrikov’s skate.

The goal pushed MacKinnon ahead of Peter Stastny on the franchise points leaderboard for second all time.

Adam Edstrom, who was back in the lineup after serving as a healthy scratch in Vegas, was rewarded for his hustle early in the second period.

Banging home a feed from Sam Carrick off the rush, Edstrom notched his first goal of the season and gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead. The rest of the period belonged to the Avs.

The home team limited the Rangers to just four shots on goal in the middle frame, while unloading 14 on Shesterkin.

A goal felt like it was coming all period long and it finally did at the 17:15 mark, when Cale Makar stuffed in a wraparound to make it a 2-2 game.