James Guillory-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/e1b81594-923b-4adb-bee2-17a85f14c925.jpeg] James Guillory-Imagn Images With their 7-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday afternoon, the New York Rangers have officially been eliminated from playoff contention. Despite their season quite literally being on the line, the Rangers showed no sense of urgency to start the game as they looked completely out of sorts. Carolina took a commanding 4-0 lead in the second period, putting the Rangers in desperation mode. The Rangers provided some pushback in the third period to keep the game close. However, it was too little. From winning the Presidents’ Trophy just one year ago to missing the playoffs entirely, it’s been a true fall from grace for the Blueshirts. “You can't just show up and expect it to go the same way it did last year,” Vincent Trocheck said. “We earned it last year. We certainly didn't earn it this year.” There’s a feeling of frustration and disappointment not only because they missed the playoffs, but because this team had so many opportunities to make the most of the season and ultimately couldn't salvage their chances. Even with all the talent in the world, the Rangers couldn’t even squeak the postseason. The Rangers disappointed the fans and they disappointed themselves. “It's disappointing for everybody,” Peter Laviolette said. “It certainly wasn't anybody's plan coming into the year, especially coming off of last year. Yet here we are. We had opportunities in the last 20 games to make our own noise and make our own way and we didn't do that. It's on us. We needed to be better… “I think there's always expectation here. I think every year this team has gone in expecting to be successful, expecting to win a Stanley Cup. The disappointment is real.” The Rangers have two games remaining with nothing to play for but pride.
