Sam Rosen's swansong season has been hard for the Rangers. A tailspin and collapse of epic proportions has left the Rangers desperately hanging on to hope for a postseason spot. They need almost a divine intervention to make the playoffs, but the Rangers' chances are dwindling. It's getting difficult for the math to favor the New York Rangers, and with just 11 games remaining for the Blueshirts to salvage their season, it's getting less likely we will see the Rangers in the playoffs.
The Montreal Canadiens are currently in the second wild-card spot. They are on pace for 89 points, which is low for a team that wants to make the postseason. However, the Rangers can catch them playing at that pace. The Rangers currently sit on 74 points, meaning they would need eight wins from the final 11 to beat out that pace of the Canadiens. However, they are not the only team in this conversation, so it is messy.
The red-hot New York Islanders are the major problem of the chasing pack. One point separates the cross-city rivals, but the Islanders have played two games less. They're only two points back of Montreal with the same number of games played. That gives the Islanders a strong chance at making the postseason over the Rangers if the Canadiens slip up or continue on pace for one of the lowest point totals to make the postseason.
These are the two teams the Rangers will be fighting with for the rest of the year. There is an outside chance the Columbus Blue Jackets will get back into this fight, but they picked the worst time to go ice cold, so that isn't looking great. While the Rangers are resting, they hope to get a few favors tonight to help their playoff bid.