If you’re a New York Rangers fan, still buzzing from last season’s Presidents’ Trophy win, and dreaming of Stanley Cup glory. It’s not going to be the same this year. The Garden’s electric, Igor Shesterkin’s a wall in the net, and the team’s racking up points like nobody’s business. Then, like a plot twist in a gritty New York movie, it all unravels. Fast forward to April 12, 2025, and the Blueshirts are out of the playoff race, repeating a rare and painful history from 1993. What happened to the team that was supposed to dominate?

An X post from PuckEmpire shared the news. The tweet said, “The city that never sleeps has been put to bed. The New York Rangers will not be in the NHL’s playoffs for the first time since 2021.” It’s a stat that stings, especially for a fanbase that tasted success just a year ago. That loss wasn’t just a bad night; it was the culmination of a season-long collapse. The Rangers became only the fourth team in NHL history to miss the playoffs the year after winning the Presidents’ Trophy, joining the 1992-93 Blueshirts in infamy. The other teams included the Buffalo Sabres 2006-08 and the Boston Bruins 2013-15. It’s a stat that stings, especially for a fanbase that tasted success just a year ago.

What went wrong? The team’s defence was a revolving door, haemorrhaging scoring chances—30th in the league at 13.47 per game, per Clear Sight Analytics. Bad habits like turnovers and weak net-front protection resurfaced in March when they went 6-10-3. Even a mid-season rally, bolstered by J.T. Miller’s arrival, couldn’t mask the cracks. Peter Laviolette’s system, meant to blend grit with skill, never gelled. Goaltending and special teams carried them last year, but this season, the formula fizzled.

The story is developing…