The New York Rangers have now dropped six of their last eight games. earning a record of 2-4-2 over that time. Somehow, the Blueshirts are still in contention for a wild card spot in the playoffs, but things aren't looking great. With the Montreal Canadiens and New York Islanders both winning last night, and the Rangers losing, the Blueshirts have dropped out of the last playoff spot in the east.
It's not difficult to understand why the Rangers have been faltering as of late- they just can't seem to score. In their last five games, the Blueshirts have averaged scoring just two goals per game- far less than the teams leading the league. The problem has become more pronounced over their last two showings, with the Rangers losing to the Edmonton Oilers by a score of 3-1, and the Calgary Flames 2-1. The outing against the Flames was an absolute must-win game, and the Rangers flopped in a massive way.
#NYR spread in today’s @nypost ahead of practice ⬇️
— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) March 19, 2025
Blueshirts back outside of playoff picture after listless loss➡️https://t.co/oeqWSs7oWc
Arthur Kaliyev out for season➡️https://t.co/IAbZWKHcwx
Brooks: Embarrassing effort bringing lost season into focus➡️https://t.co/2Ef13Zt3Sg pic.twitter.com/DOTRwiZiWE
After scoring in the opening minutes of the game, the Rangers rolled over and died. The Blueshirts would allow two Flames' goals before the first frame ended and would never regain their lead. If the Rangers had to lose this matchup, fans would have at least appreciated a gutsy performance from their team. It would have bought back some good will if the Blueshirts had fired 30+ shots on goal or initiated some fights to get the Garden crowd going, but the team disappointed in the worst way.
The Rangers managed just 13 shots on goal, one of their lowest tallies of the season, and generated almost no high-danger chances in the third period. It's become an unfortunate trend of the Rangers this year to follow up convincing victories with deflating losses. The Blueshirts have struggled to piece together win streaks of three or more, and one of the biggest reasons is lack of offensive output. The most egregious example comes from the power play.
This is a really deep tweet
— NYRHockey🗽 (@BroadwayHatsNYR) March 19, 2025
The only difference between the Rangers today and the Rangers the last few years
Is that the power play sucks this year
Take away the power play and this is who they are
Igor and a god awful hockey team with absolutely zero leadership or will
In past seasons, the Rangers have had some of the best power play units in the league, but this season has been a completely different story. The Blueshirts currently have the 25th ranked power play in the NHL, making them one of the worst units in the league. Rangers fans may not want to hear it, but if your team can't score with more players on the ice than the opposition, they may not deserve to make the postseason.