Rangers are knocked out of the playoffs after defeat

Rangers Officially Out of Playoff Race Following Loss to Maple Leafs

TORONTO — The Rangers seemed to wave goodbye to their playoff hopes quite some time ago. However, the confirmation came with a disappointing 4-3 defeat against the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. With only ten games remaining in the 2025-26 season, this loss definitively sealed their fate.

This setback made the Rangers the second team to be knocked out of playoff contention this season, joining the Vancouver Canucks, who sit at the bottom of the standings.

Despite it being the second game of a back-to-back for Toronto, the evening also marked Adam Sykora’s NHL debut, though it wasn’t the highlight he hoped for. The Rangers started strong, outpacing their shot total from Monday’s game in just the first period. Oddly enough, they still trailed 2-0 at the first intermission.

Jake McCabe scored a long rebound to give the Maple Leafs the lead, while Max Domi targeted the Rangers’ pairing of Will Borgen and Braden Schneider late in the game. Domi managed to find a clear shot lane, sending a puck to Nicholas Robertson, who beat goaltender Igor Shesterkin, increasing the lead.

This marked the eighth game that Borgen and Schneider skated together this season. For the most part, Schneider had a tough time, including being offside during the first five minutes. But in the last three games, Borgen shifted to the left side.

Coach Mike Sullivan had mentioned earlier that the significant reason Vincent Iorio remained out of the lineup was due to the two right-handed defensemen adjusting poorly to changes. With Urho Vaakanainen sidelined due to an injury, Sullivan felt compelled to stick with Borgen and Schneider due to necessity.

In the Rangers’ effort that night, Mika Zibanejad played notably well, scoring during the second period and helping set up another goal. The Rangers’ power play, surprisingly one of the league’s top performers this month, contributed to their competitive edge in the game.

Lafreniere, the first overall pick in 2020, was particularly lively, getting one goal himself and assisting another, which was impressive. One moment that stood out was when he pulled the puck back at the crease and sent it past Toronto’s goalie, Joseph Wall, closing the gap to 3-1. He later made a cross-ice pass to Zibanejad, who scored to bring the game within one point.

With a total of three points for the night, Lafreniere hit the 50-point mark for the second time in his six-year NHL career. Zibanejad’s performance was also commendable; his power-play goal was his first of the night and placed him fourth on the Rangers’ all-time goals list.