The New York Rangers' playoff hopes are fading rapidly after a disheartening 5-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. With just five games left, the Rangers sit six points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. Their chances of making the playoffs have been severely diminished, particularly given their inability to win three consecutive games since mid-November. The team’s recent performances have lacked resilience, with significant lapses in critical moments. Despite a promising start against Tampa, they fell apart within a short span of 1:45, conceding three goals and leaving themselves unable to recover.

Despite showing some life in the second period, where they managed to outshoot Tampa, the Rangers' power play has struggled all season, only recently finding some rhythm. Mika Zibanejad provided a rare highlight with a power-play goal, but it proved too little, too late to salvage the game. The Rangers need to win out and hope the Canadiens falter significantly, a scenario many doubt given the current state of the team. With the playoffs slipping away, questions about the team's toughness and ability to perform under pressure loom larger than ever.