As for the race for the playoffs, the exact opposite is true. When idle, the Rangers can either stay where they are or lose ground. Tonight was a night when the lost ground. Pittsburgh beat Arizona in overtime and moved 11 points ahead of the Rangers for the second wild card spot.
According to “The Athletic” website’s daily projection of final standings, the Rangers have a 1% chance of making the playoffs, despite the two straight wins. They have the Rangers finishing fifth from the bottom, behind Detroit, Ottawa, Los Angeles and Chicago.
The Lottery Look
It wasn’t a bad night for the Rangers’ lottery aspirations.