The New York Rangers are dangerously close to ending their season early. While they’re not officially out of playoff contention yet, time is quickly slipping away.
Despite their struggles, the Rangers delivered a surprising and dominant 9-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday night. It marked their first time scoring nine goals in a game since March 17, 2021, when they faced the Philadelphia Flyers. The result was particularly unexpected given their poor form in the previous three games.
Still Battling
With elimination looming, the Rangers are showing some fight. It’s been a disappointing season overall, but they haven’t given up just yet. The big question remains—have they left it too late?
Their current record stands at 37-35-7, giving them 81 points. Unfortunately, that still leaves them outside the final wild card spot. They’re trailing the Montreal Canadiens, who hold 87 points and have the advantage of one extra game remaining. The Rangers’ final three opponents are all playoff-bound teams, making their path forward even more challenging. By contrast, Montreal has the 17th toughest remaining schedule, according to tankathon.com.
Offensive Explosion
The blowout against the Islanders was a rare offensive explosion for the Rangers. Seven different players found the net—Artemi Panarin, Brett Berard, Mika Zibanejad, Will Cuylle, Vincent Trocheck, Alexis Lafreniere, and Juuso Parssinen. Both Panarin and Berard scored twice.
A Glimpse of What Could Have Been
This game showed what the Rangers are capable of when everything clicks. It resembled the form of last season’s Presidents’ Trophy-winning squad. However, it’s also clear that the result could have been very different without the heroics of goaltender Igor Shesterkin. He made 44 saves on 46 shots, including 19 stops in a stellar second period. Defensively, the team still has plenty of issues, but the offense carried the day.
The game highlighted the strength of the forward group, with all four lines contributing. Ten of the twelve forwards recorded at least one point, with only Chris Kreider and Jonny Brodzinski missing out.
It was an entertaining game for fans, but it doesn’t erase the difficult road ahead. With just one week left in the regular season, the Rangers face an uphill battle—and the ending might not be a happy one.