It’s not officially over, but it might as well be. The New York Rangers are on the brink of elimination from the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Broadway Blueshirts squandered a crucial opportunity on home ice against the Philadelphia Flyers, and the frustration in the locker room now far outweighs what little hope remained. Following the 8-5 loss at Madison Square Garden, Mika Zibanejad didn’t mince words — calling out himself, his teammates, and head coach Peter Laviolette.
The Rangers sit eight points behind the Montreal Canadiens, who hold the last wildcard spot in the East, with eight points left to play for. If Montreal secures just one point in one of their last four games, it delivers the final stomp to the fans’ broken hearts in The Big Apple, eliminating the Rangers, who one year ago were the best team in the NHL regular season.
Where did it all go wrong for last season’s Presidents’ Trophy winners? According to Vincent Trocheck, “that’s a loaded question,” and unpacking it could take weeks of discussion. There is a common sentiment within the Rangers, where leaders, and Laviolette opt to steer the attention away from the visible struggles.
Zibanejad might have a clearer view on the matter — or maybe he’s just tired of pretending not to have answers like the rest of the team. Following the soul-crushing home loss to the struggling Flyers, he delivered a blunt assessment of the harsh reality within the organization.
Head coach Peter Laviolette of the New York Rangers speaks with the media prior to the game against the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden on March 17, 2024 in New York City.
“We haven’t really helped ourselves, let’s be honest,” Zibanejad admitted postgame, per New York Post. “We haven’t really helped ourselves over the last couple weeks.
“We’ve been getting some chances and I felt a couple weeks ago like it was in our hands still to take care of the games that we had. But we weren’t able to do that and that’s why we’re in this position. We’re not in this position solely because of tonight. It stings. It’s frustrating.”
Fumbled their chance, repeatedly
The Rangers once held a hand strong enough to control their own destiny, but that scenario has long slipped away in New York. They’ve flirted with the postseason, yet stumbled every time an opportunity to seize control landed in front of them.
It’s too late now. The red-hot Habs are all but guaranteed to snag at least one point, officially hammering the final nail in the Blueshirts’ coffin. Even in a utopian scenario where Montreal goes pointless down the stretch, three other teams still stand between the Rangers and a miracle.
“It’s a sh–ty feeling in here, for sure,” defenseman Adam Fox said. “We’re hanging on by a thread at this point. We’ll show up [Thursday night] and try to win a game. That’s pretty much all we can do right now is try and just turn the page to that.”
Adam Fox #23 of the New York Rangers looks on against the Chicago Blackhawks during the second period at the United Center on January 05, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.
Regardless of Fox’s comments, no fan in New York can seriously get their hopes up right now— not if it requires the Blueshirts to win four straight must-win games
Chasing the wrong history book
On April 10, the Rangers could face elimination at the hands of their bitter rivals, the New York Islanders. A loss would officially knock them out, making them just the fourth team in NHL history to miss the playoffs the year after winning the Presidents’ Trophy.
To make matters worse, the Rangers would become the only franchise to accomplish that dubious feat twice, having first done it back in the 1992-93 season.
