
Rangers’ playoff hopes all but done after lopsided loss to Lightning
NY Post
The Rangers are marching right toward their demise.
If the lackluster shutout loss to the Devils on Saturday afternoon didn’t seal their fate, a 5-1 loss to the playoff-bound Lightning on Monday night at Madison Square Garden all but put a nail in the coffin on a Blueshirts season that never had much life to begin with.
With only five games remaining, this latest defeat keeps the Rangers six points behind the Canadiens for the final wild-card spot in the East. Montreal will have a chance to extend it to as many as eight, while the Red Wings and Islanders will both have an opportunity to surpass the Rangers with wins Tuesday night.
A Blue Jackets win Tuesday night would also pull Columbus into a points tie with the Rangers.
It has reached the point where the Rangers would need a miracle to qualify for the postseason.
“It sucks to be in this position,” Jonny Brodzinski said. “None of us wanted to be in it.”