The New York Rangers had high expectations this season after an impressive run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2021-22.
Similar to how that series ended, the Blueshirts jumped out to a 2-0 series lead before being outplayed and to some, out-coached.
This time around, Gerard Gallant had a super-talented roster that included new additions in Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane. Yet, he couldn’t get this team over the hump in both the regular-season and the playoffs.
The Rangers had numerous opportunities to move up in the Metro Division and ensure an easier first-round opponent or home-ice but failed.