Rangers' season ends in dismay and someone will pay the price
The Devils advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals after dismantling the Blueshirts in Game 7
Perhaps it would have ended differently if the New York Rangers had not opened this series with an onslaught that chased Vitek Vanecek from the New Jersey Devils’ goal crease.
If Igor Shesterkin had not committed a foolish, hot-headed roughing penalty in Game 3 that led to Jack Hughes’ game-tying power-play-goal.
If Artemi Panarin could have converted on a glorious net-front chance early in overtime of Game 3.
If the Blueshirts’ power play had not gone ice-cold after looking unstoppable through the first two games of the series.
If Mika Zibanejad or Alexis Lafrenière could have beaten Akira Schmid on either of their two-on-one rushes when Game 7 was scoreless.
If Adam Fox and Chris Kreider had not let their guard down on the man advantage in the second period of Game 7.
If New York had shown “no quit” as advertised.
These are among the many questions that the Rangers are left to ponder after blowing a 2-0 series lead to the Devils and laying an egg with their season on the line.
But one thing is for certain: It was not supposed to end like this.
From the start of training camp, the Blueshirts’ focus was not on winning the division or qualifying for the playoffs. Instead, with the bitter taste of a squandered 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals lingering, this group, led by Chris Kreider, was hyper-fixated on righting last year’s wrongs and winning the 2023 Stanley Cup.
The acquisition of Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko elicited a feeling that this team was headed toward a storybook ending, and even as recently as Sunday night, it felt like the stars were aligning for the Rangers with the shocking early exits of the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Only the story of 2023 turned out to be one of agony, not ecstasy.
Despite the palpable sense of disbelief and dismay surrounding the Rangers following their elimination, none of what transpired is particularly surprising.
In reality, these high-variance Blueshirts looked disjointed all year, and after Chris Drury’s trade deadline shakeups, the already inadequate chemistry was only exacerbated.
Against the Devils, this lack of cohesion was on full display, as the Rangers seemed to be absent any sort of on-ice identity.
And with the brutal realization that “ultra-skilled” is not a suitable M.O. for this team moving forward, the tenor of the offseason has already changed entirely.
Until this point, the expectation was that this summer would be predicated on doing everything possible to keep this band together.
Now, it will consist of Chris Drury exploring every potential avenue to tear it apart.
While everything is on the table, a significant number of New York’s core players possess no-move clauses, leaving Drury with little flexibility to truly remodel this roster.
Thus, the logical first, and most substantial, step in this equation likely becomes moving on from coach Gerard Gallant and his staff.
Just as he has done in the past, Gallant quickly wore out his welcome in New York, proving it to be no coincidence that he failed to last three full seasons at any of his previous three stops.
The 59-year-old is a fine head coach, but he does not seem to boast the necessary hockey acumen or interpersonal skills to move the needle for this squad.
If Gallant is not a particularly strong motivator or tactician, then there are legitimate questions that need to be asked as to what exactly he is bringing to the table.
Although Rangers have had success under the veteran bench boss, it appears his message has gone stale and that this team has an opportunity to upgrade at that spot.
But make no mistake, this debacle is just as much on the players.
Aside from Igor Shesterkin, the Rangers’ big guns, all of whom are likely here to stay, were simply outplayed by their cross-river counterparts.
Jack Hughes looked like a different stratosphere of “superstar” than Artemi Panarin.
Nico Hischier, while quiet on the score sheet, was more involved and impactful than Mika Zibanejad throughout the series.
Dougie Hamilton was more dangerous with the puck on his stick at five-on-five than Adam Fox.
Erik Haula outperformed both of the Rangers’ secondary centers, Filip Chytil and Vincent Trocheck, in every aspect.
Even Chris Kreider, who scored six goals but only one at even strength, was nowhere near as active on a shift-to-shift basis as Timo Meier.
In the end, for better or worse, this series will be one that significantly alters the Rangers’ future.
Some sort of makeover is coming, yet if a few more bounces had gone the Blueshirts’ way, that likely would not be the case.
Alas, here we are.
With their affinity for Game 7s in recent years, the Rangers have long been playing with fire.
They finally got burned. To the highest degree.
And now, they embark on a daunting road to recovery.