If it wasn’t bad enough that the Montreal Canadiens won a huge game to go four points up in the standings, the New York Rangers’ postseason dreams took a potentially fatal blow Saturday in a demoralizing 4–0 shutout loss to the New Jersey Devils. Once seen as a Stanley Cup contender, the Rangers are falling apart with a 4-5-1 record in their past ten games and falling back of the final wild-card spot with just six games to go. Change has to be coming for the Rangers, as the organization can’t be pleased with how this season is ending, and the playoffs appear unlikely.
This loss wasn’t just another loss—it was a defining moment in a season marked by disappointment. Timo Meier’s pair of goals and Jesper Bratt’s shorthanded dagger exposed the Rangers. The game was full of defensive miscues and a lack of urgency. Fans are all over the team, calling their effort inexcusable when it matters most. The Rangers outshot their opponent but couldn’t capitalize on the power play and failed to generate sustained pressure.
Their power play went 0-for-2 and is just 2-for-43 since March 3. Frustratingly, head coach Peter Laviolette has refused to give the admittedly more effective second unit more ice time.
Defensively, the Rangers aren’t much better. Their top-pairing defenseman, Adam Fox, is the lone bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season.
Meanwhile, the Canadiens continue to roll, winners of four in a row. Lane Hutson is having a Calder-caliber season, and the offense is clicking. The moves Martin St. Louis has been making with the team have worked, and GM Kent Hughes’s choice not to sell at the deadline appears to have paid off.
Rangers Are Going to Miss The Playoffs, Change Is Coming
With Saturday’s loss, the Rangers’ playoff odds dropped dramatically. Given how the team has underperformed—from stars like Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad to goalie Igor Shesterkin—some are questioning what changes the team will need to make this offseason.
It could start with coach Peter Laviolette. With several names available, including former Rangers coach John Tortorella, Laviolette has to know that there will be chatter surrounding his future. Meanwhile, GM Chris Drury might be on the hot seat too.
There will definitely be player turnover as trades surrounded some of the Rangers’ top stars heading into this season’s deadline. The big issue is that most of their higher-paid contracts include no-move clauses. Chris Kreider and K’Andre Miller might be names to watch on the trade block around this year’s NHL Draft.
-1742745826-q80.webp "Buccaneers Urged to Follow NFC South Rival’s $180 Million Decision at QB")
