Nobody appears to want to earn the last wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, least of all the New York Rangers.
Yet the Rangers will have another chance to improve their postseason odds and perhaps move into a playoff spot Saturday night when the visit the San Jose Sharks.
The Rangers (34-32-7, 75 points) frittered away a golden opportunity on Friday when they squandered a pair of two-goal leads in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks.
The Sharks (20-42-9, 49 points) were off Friday, one day after earning their second straight win with a 6-5 victory in a shootout over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
A fifth loss in the last six games (1-4-1) may have been the most damaging yet for New York.
The Rangers failed to put away the Ducks, whom they led 3-1 just 14 seconds into the middle period and 4-2 more than midway through the third. They also failed to take advantage of two power plays in the final eight minutes of regulation.
The Ducks scored twice in the last six minutes — almost immediately after killing off the penalties — before Mason McTavish scored 59 seconds into overtime.
“That was two points we’ve got to have,” said Rangers defenseman Adam Fox, who scored the game’s first goal 3:20 into the opening period. “Inexcusable third period.”
Instead of taking over the final wild-card spot, the Rangers enters Saturday tied with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens, one point ahead of the New York Islanders.
The Blue Jackets (71 games) and Canadiens (72 games) officially rank ahead of the Rangers (73 games) because they have games in hand – as do the Islanders, who are at 71 games.
And yet, once again, the Rangers may have an opportunity to gain ground Saturday night. The Islanders are slated to visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon while the Blue Jackets hit the road to battle the Ottawa Senators later in the evening.
“We’re not helping ourselves, but we’re still in it,” Fox said.
The Sharks have been out of it essentially since starting the season with a nine-game losing streak (0-7-2), but they may be a dangerous foe Saturday after earning consecutive wins.
San Jose squandered a 5-3 lead in the final minute of the third period on Thursday and was outshot 6-2 in overtime before Will Smith and rookie Macklin Celebrini scored in the shootout to finish off the win over the Maple Leafs.
“(The Leafs are) obviously a really good team and I thought we played a really good game,” said Sharks center Tyler Toffoli, who scored twice to move within three goals of his third straight 30-goal season.
“We found a way. We stuck with it and I’m happy with this group.”
Earlier this season, the Rangers recorded a 3-2 win over the Sharks on Nov. 14.
–Field Level Media
