Gallant blasts Rangers after loss to Islanders: 'We were horseshit'

New York Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant wasn't pleased with his team's effort in a 3-0 loss to the rival New York Islanders on Friday night.

"Islanders played a good game. We were horseshit," Gallant told reporters postgame. "But at least we do it together as a team. Like the great games we played in Pittsburgh we (did) it as a team. Tonight, (we) get the other side of it."

The Rangers actually outshot the Islanders 27-18 and controlled 67.5% of the expected goals at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick. That doesn't mean squat to Gallant, though.

"Nothing, not a bit," he responded when asked about the shot differential. "The way we played, we were skating in quicksand all night."

Gallant was specifically displeased with his blue line.

"You guys see the defensemen," Gallant continued. "When we move the puck up the ice we're a pretty good team. We start dancing around with it, spinning around with it, turning it over, that's what you get."

Rangers leading scorer Artemi Panarin agreed with his coach's assessment.

"We came out and we kind of dirtied up our pants a little bit out there," the Russian winger said via translator.

This isn't the first time Gallant has ripped his team this season. Last month he said his skaters "should be embarrassed" for hanging goaltender Igor Shesterkin out to dry after a blowout loss to the St. Louis Blues.

The Rangers are still one point up on the Penguins for second place in the Metropolitan Division. The Blueshirts will get a chance to rebound on Sunday against the Philadelphia Flyers.