The New York Rangers have to swallow their pride.
They have to swallow their pride and visit the Florida Panthers on Monday evening in their first game since being eliminated from playoff contention in embarrassing fashion via a 7-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes the past weekend. For the Rangers, the pill is an ironic one to swallow — the Blueshirts battled the Panthers for the Eastern Conference crown just last spring. At the end of the day, fans who tune into the 7:00 PM EST puck drop will be reminded that roughly 10 months ago the Rangers were two wins away from reaching the Stanley Cup Final.
While Florida (47-29-4) actually has motivation to play for in that they are heading back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Rangers (37-36-7) have to play out the end of their season with no further expectations for the first time since 2020-21.
But they still have a game to play. Here's four things to look for as the Rangers look to snap the Panthers' three game winning streak in a meaningless contest.
1. Game No. 800 for Vincent Trocheck
A true leader on and off the ice, Vincent Trocheck will hit his career No. 800 game against Florida the moment he steps on the ice at Amerant Bank Arena. The 31-year-old center hasn’t missed a game in three seasons with the Rangers (244 games). More than half of his games (420) were played with the Panthers, who selected Trocheck in the third round of the 2011 draft.
Trocheck is second on the Rangers' club stats page with 24 goals. He also leads all NHL players who’ve taken at least 1,000 face-offs this season with a win percentage of 59.6 and has tallied five points in the past three matchups.
2. Young Rangers on the Ice
With nothing left to lose, its time for New York Rangers Head Coach Peter Laviolette to look to the future. The easiest way for him to do that is by giving his younger players more time on the ice.
And according to Mollie Walker with the New York Post, this is exactly what he plans to do. 24-year-old Hartford Wolf Pack member Matthew Robertson will make his NHL debut against Florida. Additionally Gabe Perreault — who has been a healthy scratch the past few games — will see action in addition to Brennan Othmann.
Matthew Robertson will make his NHL debut tomorrow for #NYR vs. Panthers, per head coach Peter Laviolette.
— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) April 13, 2025
Expect Gabe Perreault and Brennan Othmann to play, too.
3. Braden Schenider Out
For the final two games of the year, defenseman Braden Schneider will be out these next two games with an upper-body injury, which is apparently something he has been dealing with this season.
Now that the Rangers are officially eliminated, they want him to start the recovery process. The Prince Albert, Canada native is expected to be ready by the start of next season.
4. Final Away Game of the Year
The Blueshirts will play their final road game of the season, seeking their 20th victory away from Madison Square Garden. If they get it, that would be four straight seasons the Rangers won 20 or more road games, setting a franchise record.
New York is 19-17-4 on the road, which is better than their sub .500 mark at MSG (18-19-3) this season. Though they lost in Raleigh on Saturday, the Rangers are 4-3-1 in their most recent eight road contests. The Rangers have won six of their past 10 regular-season road games against the Panthers.