Shesterkin lit up, Zibanejad blunders, and more: 3 reasons why New York Rangers lost 6-3 to Winnipeg Jets

The New York Rangers lost to the NHL's top team, the Winnipeg Jets, 6-3 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.

The Jets fired five goals past Igor Shesterkin, with Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor scoring twice and Gabriel Vilardi and Vladislav Namestnikov also finding the back of the net. Connor notched his second of the night on an empty-netter to seal the win.

Will Cuylle, Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko scored for the New York Rangers.

Let's break down the three key reasons why the New York Rangers lost to the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.

3 reasons why New York Rangers lost to Winnipeg Jets

#1. The Rangers couldn’t keep up with the Jets

The New York Rangers were consistently behind the Jets all night long. As the Jets came out of the gates showcasing their speed and skill, the Rangers fell behind and struggled to keep up.

Scheifele opened the scoring 57 seconds into the game, forcing the Rangers to play on their heels throughout the first period. Cuylle tied it at 13:07 in the first.

The Jets then pulled away, taking a 3-2 lead into the second intermission. Scheifele made the game 4-2 early in the third, and Kakko’s second of the season pulled the Rangers to within one. However, the Jets pulled away for good, scoring two more in the third.

Mika Zibanejad had a rough night defensively, with his turnovers leading to three Jets goals. Scheifele’s first goal came after Zibanejad’s failed clearing attempt, which allowed the Jets to stay in the offensive zone and ultimately score.

#2. The Rangers' top line went blank

The New York Rangers’ top scorers went blank on the night. Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider and Vincent Trocheck all failed to get on the scoresheet. Artemi Panarin did record an assist on Lafrenière’s power-play goal in the second period, but other than that, the Rangers' offensive leaders couldn’t break through Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck. Hellebuyck made 33 saves, outplaying Shesterkin on the other end.

#3. Shesterkin got lit up

In what has become a bit of a troubling trend, Igor Shesterkin gave up five goals on 32 shots. In his last outing, Shesterkin gave up five goals against the Buffalo Sabres. He also surrendered four to the Washington Capitals and allowed six goals in a wild overtime loss to the Utah Hockey Club.

Overall, Shesterkin’s numbers look great. He’s got six wins, a shutout, a 2.62 GAA and a .920 SV%. But while the numbers look encouraging, Shesterkin hasn’t been his usual lights-out self.

It's important to note, however, that the Rangers' defensive lapses played a significant role in Shesterkin's high goal counts, as players like Zibanejad failed to help him out.

The Rangers will look to regroup before facing the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.