After four straight losses, the New York Rangers made a comeback against the Minnesota Wild on March 13. Finally, the Rangers’ fan base has some reprieve from the prolonged disappointment over their favorite team’s misfortunes. But hold up, the franchise’s head coach does not seem too overjoyed with the victory. So wait, what exactly happened in the game? The game ended with a 3-2 final score in overtime. But why wasn’t Peter Laviolette happy with the win? 

The Rangers faced a total of six penalty minutes in the game. Laviolette did not think that Matt Rempe deserved a penalty. In the after-game conversation with the head coach, NHL reporter Mollie Walker posed questions as to what he thought about the penalty call for the Rangers No. 73, Matt Rempe. During the third period, 23-year-old Matt Rempe was called out for interference.

In his response, Peter Laviolette said, “I think he draws attention. Just the size of him and the way he plays the game. It just draws attention. It’s unfortunate because, sometimes like tonight, he’s not really doing anything, and he’s in the box.” And why was the coach so mad about Matt Rempe’s penalty, especially? At 1:55 minutes into the third period, Rempe did not purposefully collide with the goalie, but he was nudged by the Wild forward, which unfortunately led to Matt hitting the Wild’s goaltender. Laviolette also added his frustration, saying, “I didn’t agree with the call. They’re saying they want to protect the goaltenders, but I don’t know. I just didn’t agree with it.”

Rempe was penalized for a collision with Devin Shore of the Minnesota Wild. And allegedly, Shore was looking the other way while skating into Rempe when the game was in the 3rd period and the New York Rangers were (1-0) ahead of the Wild. 

What if we tell you that this has happened before? This was not the first time Rempe was penalized. In the Rangers’ previous game against the Winnipeg Jets, he was called out by the refs for goal interference. Albeit, that was also controversial. In that game against the Jets, he was pushed by the Jets forward Morgan Barron into netminder Connor Hellebuyck. And the result? Unfortunately, Rempe was in the penalty box.

Due to the controversial penalty of the Rangers No. 73, the game reached a tie. Two goals from Vincent Trocheck and Jonny Brodzinski helped to a great degree to get to the 2-2 level. And lastly, Braden Schneider‘s beautiful overtime goal became the cherry on the cake, resulting in a win at 1:51 of overtime.

And from Minnesota, Marcus Johansson and Frederick Gaudreau did their best to clinch a win, but the team fell short of a goal in OT. This was the New York Rangers’ 32nd win of the regular season. The franchise is currently in the 5th position of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference in the NHL.

New York Rangers not even close to get into the playoffs? 

It was heartbreaking for Rangers fans to see their team unable to snap out of their losing skid. After a win against the Islanders on March 3, the Rangers collapsed, suffering four straight defeats when it mattered most. The Edmonton Oilers are facing a similar struggle, despite being last year’s Stanley Cup finalists. They’ve endured a five-game losing streak from February 5 to 27, leaving fans frustrated.

After 66 games, the Rangers have managed just 32 wins—one less than divisional rivals, the Blue Jackets, who sit just above them in the Metropolitan Division. While they could overtake Columbus in the coming weeks, their playoff chances remain bleak. Statistically, the Rangers have only a 6% chance of securing third place in the division. First and second? Less than 1% each.

And, let’s be real—even a 50% chance doesn’t guarantee a playoff spot. So how does a team with such low odds survive?

With 16 games left before the playoffs, the Rangers must shift their focus. Regardless of whether they make the cut this year, they should concentrate on strengthening the team and preparing for the next season. There’s always room at the top, but they need to put in the work. Despite having strong goaltenders like Jonathan Quick and Igor Shesterkin, the Rangers’ struggles ahead of the playoffs are baffling.

Is it a curse? No, it’s more than that—it’s a problem of their own making. As the playoffs approach, all eyes are on New York. Can they pull off a miracle, or will they fall short once again?