New York Rangers: Back to reality in a 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins

The New York Rangers dramatic revival and playoff push came to a crashing halt as they lost to the Bruins 3-1 at Madison Square Garden.  It dealt a blow to their playoffs hopes, but they are still in the playoff picture.

There are two ways to look at this game.  It was either a textbook victory by a Stanley Cup contender over a playoff wannabe or it was another impressive performance by a young New York Rangers team that has become a contender over the last few weeks.

In reality, it was probably a little bit of both.   The good news is the Rangers played a solid defensive game, holding the Bruins to a manageable number of chances.  They were let down by their special teams and if there was any puck luck in the building, it was in Boston’s favor.

The bottom line is this was a one-goal game that the Rangers were in until the last seconds of the game and it was remarkably close to being a replay of the victory over the Minnesota Wild.  However, the Bruins are not the Wild and despite coming close, the Rangers couldn’t knot the score and Boston got the empty net goal to clinch the win.

The Rangers got very little help in their playoff push and are now one day closer to the trade deadline.   The New Jersey Devils kicked off the final week by making two deals Sunday.   Tough decisions are looming.