The Rangers’ playoff chances are all but washed away after they were outpaced in the third period against the lowly Flyers on Wednesday night, meaning their tragic number is down to one with four games to go.
Meanwhile, the team’s third straight loss also punched its hated rival’s ticket to the postseason, as the Devils have now clinched a first-round date with the Hurricanes. New Jersey, which pounded New York in Newark over the weekend to but the Rangers’ playoff hopes on life support, is going to the playoffs for the second time in three years.
For the Rangers, Wednesday’s loss accelerated what was seemed like a reality for weeks now, as they have continued to come up short in big games that could have salvaged their playoff hopes. Three straight losses at The Garden last month set them back, as did an overtime loss to the Ducks a week later, leaving a crucial point on the board. Now they have lost three in a row by three goals or more, and their season could officially come to an end on Thursday night when they take the short trip to Long Island to take on the rival Islanders.
The reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners could become just the fourth team in NHL history to miss the playoffs a year after finishing with the best record in the league. Shockingly, a group that reached the Eastern Conference Final a year ago is now orchestrating one of the most disappointing seasons in the franchise’s long history.