What happened in the third period last night happened. It’s over and done with. There’s nothing the Rangers can do about how putrid they were in giving up four consecutive goals to the Hurricanes in a 4-1 loss to drop Game 5 at a stunned Madison Square Garden.

All they can do is move forward. What once was a 3-0 series lead is now down to 3-2. The best of seven series returns to Carolina on Thursday. That’s two days away.

Having an extra day to prepare should help the Blueshirts. They looked like they could use it. Aside from the second period, when Jacob Trouba made a great individual effort to score a shorthanded goal, they were badly outplayed.

The Hurricanes literally stormed the Rangers zone with their speed and relentless forecheck. It was evident early on that they were the faster team. Despite the shots being dead even at nine apiece, Carolina generated much better chances in the first period.

It was the Canes’ transition that found holes in the Rangers’ defense. There was too much easy access. Igor Shesterkin bailed his team out by making half a dozen big saves to keep it scoreless.

Following the game, Rangers coach Peter Laviolette referenced how off his team was in the postgame.

“We weren’t sharp tonight. There was a lot of issues tonight. … It was more than the third period. … It wasn’t a reflection of who we were for the majority of the year.”

Laviolette pointed out that the Rangers have had bad periods like that before in losses. They’ve always responded. They’re facing a big test from a confident opponent who believes they can come back from a 0-3 deficit to win the series. There’s pressure.

“We’re just pumped for each other. We just need to enjoy the moment, enjoy the boost that a win gives you, but we’ve got to regroup and give everything we’ve got in Game 6,” Hurricanes goal scorer Jordan Martinook told reporters following last night’s stirring comeback.

They have belief. Captain Jordan Staal provided it when he scored the tying goal to spark his team to a four-goal third period. Staal took a Dmitry Orlov pass and blew by Braden Schneider before catching Igor Shesterkin deep in his net to tuck a backhand in.

The play never happens if Mika Zibanejad doesn’t make a bad line change. He picked the wrong time in the game to go to the Rangers bench. Orlov made a smart read. Staal did the rest.

Once the game was tied, the Canes stormed the Blueshirts’ net. Shesterkin gave up a bad rebound that led to Evgeny Kuznetsov scoring the go-ahead tally. Artemi Panarin was beaten on the goal. He really needs to be much better than his two no-shows, which resembled 2023.

After he felt pressure from Jack Drury, Trouba tried a reverse behind his net that Martin Necas picked off and set up a vacated Martinook for a crushing third goal that took the air out of the building. Mika Zibanejad puck watched. It was another example of a big game player not paying attention to detail.

Necas added an empty netter to seal the victory. The Canes outshot the Rangers 28-21, including 10-6 in the deciding third. They out-attempted them 67-52. More than that, they controlled play. In a mind-boggling statistic, the Rangers were credited with no high danger chances at five-on-five and on the power play.

Frederik Andersen didn’t have to sweat. He made 20 saves. Most were routine. Jack Roslovic got in for a good chance due to his speed. But his shot was easily stopped by Andersen.

The Hurricanes pressured the Rangers on the power play, causing them to force passes and turn over pucks. The same power play that started hot is 0 for the last 8. Carolina has allowed no power-play goals over the last three games.

A key area the Rangers must improve on is five-on-five. They only had 15 shots in Monday’s loss. There was hardly enough pressure on the Hurricanes. Neither the first or second line had a consistent forecheck. They were shut down. It’s no coincidence that in the last two losses, Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, and Alexis Lafreniere have been limited. Zibanejad and Kreider also haven’t done much.

So, what needs to happen for the Rangers to go into Carolina and win Game 6?

Kreider’s trying not to panic. Game 5 was uncharacteristic of this team. As bad as yesterday was, the Rangers still lead the series three games to two. They’re a good enough team to win on the road. In order to avoid a do or die Game 7, they’ll need to have more killer instinct. Play with more desperation. Match the Canes’ intensity.

Laviolette has an extra day to decide if he should adjust his lineup. Matt Rempe again rode the pine in the third period with the game tied. The frustrating part is that he has a high IQ. He knows how to play, which is what makes him effective on the fourth line. But the coach doesn’t fully trust him in close games enough.

If that’s the case, it would be better if Filip Chytil could return. Nobody knows what’s going on with him. Adding a player of his skill and speed would help. It would give Laviolette more options.

If not, Jonny Brodzinski could get back in and replace Rempe on the fourth line.

It still says here that Erik Gustafsson is shaky in his end. He doesn’t help Trouba enough. The Canes know they can pressure Gustafsson into mistakes. Laviolette had Gustafsson in Washington. He trusts him. That’s the only reason he’s playing over the capable Zac Jones.

The Rangers can look at video and see what they did wrong. There should be a change to the power play. Laviolette noted that the Canes pressure at the top. The Rangers have to move the puck quickly to set up shots. They’ve been off lately. If Chytil can return, he should be on the second unit. There’s no reason to have both Gustafsson and Trouba on the points.

Establishing themselves early will be a key to Game 6. That means getting in on the forecheck. They haven’t made life tough on the Hurricanes. There’s been too much one and done. That won’t work.

They also can’t sit back once they get a lead. Play to win. Don’t rely on Shesterkin. He can’t do it alone. The 18 skaters must be on their toes. Make better puck decisions. Tighten the gaps. Make it harder on the Canes.

We’ll see what Laviolette comes up with.