Despite a terrific effort throughout the game, the Rangers were unable to secure a win in Jonathan Quick’s final game of his Hall of Fame career. In the context of trying to finish as low as possible for the best lottery odds, this game played out just about as textbook as you’d want: Both goals came from rookies, the go ahead goal was scored in the dying minutes of the game, and the habits throughout the game in general were encouraging in what could be an interesting season next year.
Jonathan Quick spoke with reporters earlier in the day announcing that the game against Florida would be the final game of his career, and the emotions online were definitely mixed. On one hand, Quick is one of the main reasons why the Rangers Cup drought continues to this day. On the other, Quick completely re-wrote his narrative and really turned back the clock when he arrived.
Many thought Quick was washed before coming to New York and boy did he prove a lot of people wrong. He became the winningest American goaltender while donning the Rangers sweater, he played and had success on his childhood team, and he was just a solid teammate by all accounts. Maybe I’m soft, but after backing up Igor Shesterkin the way he did, I can honestly say I “forgive” him for 2014.
As Quick retires, we transition to the young core and the pleasant surprise that was Matthew Robertson. The rookie really came into his own over the course of this season and was one of the few bright spots. He proved to be a solid depth option that can play up in the lineup in certain situations. His line of 6-12-18 in 71 games was also a nice surprise, and perhaps he can continue to grow into an effective puck mover, one that may not show up on the score sheet but starts the transition with a strong first pass.
Another positive has been the growth of Gabe Perreault. His stint in Hartford to start the season turned out to be the right move, as he’s been excellent since his call up as a critical piece of the new top line. That connection with Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere has been electric and is a key driver in hope for next season. This has the potential to be a solid 1B line if the Rangers are able to find another 1A scoring line.
With the loss, the Rangers clinched last place in the Eastern Conference and a bottom-four finish in the NHL just two years removed from a President’s Trophy. We knew that 2024 core needed to be overhauled, but none of us expected such a fast fall from grace. The off ice drama–pick one of the thousand or so stories–didn’t help either. The good news is the new youth has shifted the vibes. The bad news is this team still needs a lot of heavy lifting in the offseason. It you’re nervous, you’re not alone.
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