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It's finally over, the New York Rangers have been eliminated from playoff contention in fitting fashion

ByJustin Bonhard|
Apr 12, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; aCarolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (11) scores a goal past New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) during the third period t Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
Apr 12, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; aCarolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (11) scores a goal past New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) during the third period t Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images | James Guillory-Imagn Images

That's all, folks. The 2024-25 New York Rangers' playoff hopes have been extinguished fittingly. With no heart, grit, or focus, this team took a couple of laps around that 200-foot sheet of ice with no intention of winning. There was no intention of trying to make it to the postseason.

So, with that said, what happens next? Rebuild? Re-tool? Run it back? Where do the Rangers find themselves at this point of the season a year from now?

This 7-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes was a hard pill to swallow, but it demonstrated the entire timeline of this horrific season. It started decently, went sour, and never recovered.

Making history in a horrible way

For the fourth time in NHL history, the Presidents' Trophy winners would not make the playoffs the next season. This is the second time the Rangers have had this happen to them, as they missed the playoffs during the 1992-93 season following an amazing 1991-92 campaign. This is an unimaginably bad look for a team that set franchise records last season. Franchise records for most wins in a single season at 55, and points at 114, for a franchise that is entering their centennial season in 2025-26.

A little bit of a fun fact here, but this is the first time in NHL history that neither of the Rangers, Boston Bruins, or Pittsburgh Penguins will be in the postseason.

Big Apple Drama

This season was a wacky one, and the Rangers fell victim to it. The storylines shown throughout this season were something out of a drama. Media fallouts, General Manager call-outs and lackluster performances from Broadway's biggest stars.

For these last few games, and then this long summer ahead, the drama will continue to rise. There is no clear-cut answer of what direction this game will go in 2025-26. It will be a season of celebrating, with the centennial season and all, and hopefully a revival of this great franchise. The nucleus from the Presidents' Trophy winners of a season ago are still on this team. They have to take this summer to really dive deep and recapture that lightning in a bottle.

Thankfully, this season has no more drama to unfold. There is nothing to fight for, and the last games aren't anything worthwhile.

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