Rangers face disappointment entering offseason

As the offseason approaches, the New York Rangers face disappointment following their first-round exit from the playoffs. With high expectations for this season after their Eastern Conference final appearance last year, the Rangers finished third in the Metropolitan Division, achieving over 100 points for the second consecutive year. Despite early victories against New Jersey, the Rangers saw a string of losses, culminating in a 4-0 defeat in Game 7.

Rangers forward Chris Kreider expressed his disbelief at the recent losses, stating that the team still had more to offer. The players now aim to use this setback as a source of motivation and improve their performance in the coming year. The Rangers had taken significant steps to win this season by adding veterans Patrick Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Travis Motte to their roster. However, their performance against the Devils was underwhelming.

Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil, and Alexis Lafrenière, the young players whose scoring played a crucial role in last year’s run, only managed to achieve two goals and four assists in total. Among the team, only Kreider and Tarasenko scored more than one goal. Mika Zibanejad, who had an outstanding previous season, attained only one goal and three assists in the series. Artemi Panarin, the leading scorer, was restricted to just two assists.

The Rangers had three victories against the Devils, but only scored a combined total of four goals in their four losses. Goalie Igor Shesterkin performed commendably in the series against New Jersey, with a 1.96 GAA and a .931 save-percentage. Nonetheless, the Rangers now face uncertainty, with questions about team composition, decisions on free agents, and possible changes to coaching staff.

Coach Gerard Gallant expressed his disdain at speculation about a coaching change following the playoff exit. Despite facing a difficult two weeks, Gallant believes that he should not be dismissed based on recent events. The team has a raft of unrestricted free agents, including Kane, Tarasenko, and Motte, as well as defenseman Niko Mikkola and backup goalie Jaroslav Halak. The uncertainty surrounding these players' futures adds to the challenges the Rangers face in the offseason.