New York Rangers Daily: Being pissed off at wasted opportunity; Logan Couture calls it quits
Watching the Eastern Conference playoff race literally come down the final days of the 2024-25 regular season should really piss off the New York Rangers.
It’s possible that someone could snag the second wild card in the Eastern Conference with fewer than 90 points. The previous few seasons 91 points was the lowest cut-off point; and in 2021-22, all eight teams from the Eastern Conference had at least 100 points.
This is to say, the Rangers (38-36-7; 83 points) should be slamming their heads into the wall at their major missed opportunity this season. With their roster, their collective experience, fairly strong playoff pedigree and Stanley Cup-winning coach, how the hell did the Rangers not get at least 90-something points and make the Stanley Cup Playoffs?
Well, we know why they didn’t. We’ve documented over and over again for months why the Rangers failed to reach the postseason.
But it doesn’t mean Chris Drury, Peter Laviolette, James Dolan and the players shouldn’t be furious watching the Montreal Canadiens and Columbus Blue Jackets fumble away chances to clinch a playoff berth.
Those two upstarts make for great stories in the NHL this season, with long winning streaks and dreadful losing streaks. What they also make for is an opportunity for a team like the Rangers, the defending Presidents’ Trophy winners, to have slipped past the Canadiens and Blue Jackets, even during one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history.
No one pulled away from the Rangers here — well, maybe the Ottawa Senators, the first playoff wild card in the East, did. But really, not even the New Jersey Devils pulled away from the Rangers. Did you know that the Devils have just 91 points? Yet, they’re third in the Metropolitan Division. That’s still eight points up on the woeful Rangers.
Go ahead Rangers, keep slamming your head against the wall. You earned it.
Meanwhile, let’s see if the Canadiens can get one point in their final game Wednesday against the Carolina Hurricanes and clinch that second wild-card berth. Or will we head to the final day of the season, when the Blue Jackets will try to win their sixth straight game, and force their way into the playoffs with 89 points?
That’s right, 89.
The Rangers should be so pissed off with themselves.
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New York Rangers news
The annual NHLPA player poll is always fun fodder to spark some debate. This year’s poll was released Monday and includes a pretty big oversight when it comes to how Rangers center Vincent Trocheck was totally overlooked in this one category.
Matt Rempe really stuck with it this season and is now reaping the benefits of his hard work. Here’s a look at the Rangers forward after the first multiple-point game of his NHL career.
Speaking of firsts, we have a complete breakdown of Matthew Robertson’s first game in the NHL with the Rangers on Monday.
The Hartford Wolf Pack hit the final week of the AHL season and rookie center Dylan Roobroeck is one goal shy of 20. Here’s the latest on the Rangers prospect, as well as an injury update on goalie Callum Tung.
There were plenty of winners and few losers in our breakdown of the Rangers’ 5-3 win in South Florida on Monday.
A new kind of Rempe Mania is alive and well. That’s part of our three Rangers takeaways from the win Monday.
NHL news and rumors
Logan Couture officially announced his retirement from the NHL. Here’s what’s next for the San Jose Sharks, per our friend Sheng Peng at San Jose Hockey Now.
Gabriel Landeskog is back with the Colorado Avalanche after playing two games in the AHL this past weekend and could be activated for the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Colorado captain hasn’t played an NHL game in three years due to multiple knee surgeries.
Despite missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs in three of their four seasons, the Seattle Kraken will stick with Ron Francis as general manager next season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs shut out the Buffalo Sabres 4-0 to clinch their first Atlantic Division title. They will face the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference First Round.
So, what does Toronto goalie Anthony Stolarz foresee in the first Battle of Ontario playoff series? “It’ll be a bloodbath.”
Watch Auston Matthews score his 400th NHL goal in that Maple Leafs win Tuesday.
Marc-Andre Fleury replaced Filip Gustavsson in overtime — at Gustavsson’s suggestion — and made five saves to pick up his 575th and final win in the NHL, when the Minnesota Wild defeated the Anaheim Ducks 3-2, locking up a playoff berth.
Despite defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 5-4 in a shootout, the Calgary Flames were eliminated from playoff contention in the Western Conference after 81 games in the regular season.
The St. Louis Blues clinched the final playoff spot in the West with a 6-1 win over the Utah Hockey Club, and set up a first-round playoff series against the Winnipeg Jets. That means brothers Brayden and Luke Schenn will face each in the postseason.
The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Florida Panthers 5-1, but the real fun begins this weekend when the in-state rivals meet in the first round of the playoffs.
The New Jersey Devils ended a three-game losing streak with a 5-4 overtime win against the Boston Bruins.
Watch Brian Dumoulin’s OT winner for the Devils.
How about those crazy Chicago Blackhawks?! Watch Frank Nazar bury a Connor Bedard feed for the overtime game-winner against the Ottawa Senators, one night after he scored the shootout winner against the Montreal Canadiens.
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