Welp, talk about a plot twist no one had on their bingo card. The New York Rangers, who were strutting into the spotlight just last year with that shiny Presidents’ Trophy and all the swagger that comes with 55 wins and 114 points, have now face-planted right out of playoff contention. Yup, you read that right. After Saturday’s 7-3 thud against the Hurricanes, the Rangers are officially out of the Stanley Cup chase for the first time since the 2020-21 season. That locker room glow-up from Eastern Conference Final contenders to, well… this—has fans scratching their heads and throwing side-eyes left and right.
And guess what? This is only the second time they’ve gone from league-toppers to postseason couch potatoes in the next season. The first was way back in ’93. Same team. Same script. Yikes. Now the vibes? Oh, they’re heated. New York Rangers Twitter’s got receipts, and the fans aren’t whispering anymore—they’re yelling. Hot takes are flying about the front office needing a shake-up, especially the coach’s seat that’s feeling extra toasty right now.
On April 17th, John Puck dropped a little bomb on X, casually saying, “Frank Seravalli says on Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer that Peter Laviolette will be the first coach fired this week.” And honestly? The comment section didn’t even blink—they agreed like they’d been holding it in for months.
Frank Seravalli says on Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer that Peter Laviolette will be the first coach fired this week.
— John Puck (@johnpuck1992) April 18, 2025
One user didn’t hold back, throwing fire with, “He should have been fired 3 months ago. Drury is an incompetent GM.” Oof. That one stung, and yeah, it echoed all over hockey Twitter (now known as X) like a slapshot to the ego. Now sure, the New York Rangers tried to toss a little glitter on a grim end with a mini late-season rally. Vincent Trocheck came in clutch, snapping a tie with a shorthanded beauty at 3:40 in the third and jumpstarting a four-goal frenzy that flipped a loss into a 5-3 win over the Panthers.
And just when you thought they were done, Igor Shesterkin slammed the door with 27 saves in a 4-0 shutout masterpiece against the Lightning to close out the season. That’s back-to-back dubs to end the year, and four wins out of their last eight… but let’s be real—it’s all glitter on a closed curtain. The season’s still toast. And the fans? Oh, they’re not done talking.
New York Rangers’ fans express their anger!
New York Rangers fans are absolutely letting it fly, and one fan threw down the mood in one line: “Week? Won’t get through the weekend.” And yeah, it all started spiraling after that postgame presser clip went viral, courtesy of Spittin’ Chiclets. They hit Coach Laviolette with the big one—“Does Laviolette have a message for the team at this stage?”—and his answer had everyone doing double takes: “I don’t have a message right now. I don’t go into the locker room after the game.” Just like that. No fire-up moment. No dramatic chalkboard slam. Just… vibes.
Naturally, the hockey world split like a face-off puck drop. Some fans were like, “Laviolette’s all about giving players space right after the game… calm, controlled leadership,” trying to make sense of the silence. But after watching the New York Rangers take hit after hit—including that brutal 5-1 loss to Tampa and the 4-0 collapse against the Devils—the patience is wearing thinner than playoff hopes. And let’s be real, another fan summed it up best with the coldest roast of them all: “Also, water is wet.”
One fan nailed the frustration with a mic-drop line: “Should have been fired already.” The New York Rangers’ 2024-25 season has been one long sad playlist on shuffle—after flying high with last year’s Presidents’ Trophy flex, now they’re just chilling on the playoff sidelines. The whole “No Quit in New York” motto? Yeah, fans feel like that fire got ghosted. Laviolette’s coaching calls, especially his weird hesitation to let the rookies cook earlier in the season, had fans scratching their heads and sipping rage.
But just as the storm kept brewing, boom—Laviolette tosses in a plot twist. NHL insider Mollie Walker dropped the scoop: “Matthew Robertson will make his NHL debut tomorrow… Expect Gabe Perreault and Brennan Othmann to play, too.” And for a fanbase that’s been dying to see the youth take over? That hit like a breath of playoff-scented air. Still, the vibes are mixed. Some see it as too little, too late—like Laviolette only called the kids up now that the pressure’s off and the playoffs are toast. Add in Calvin de Haan’s not-so-subtle digs after riding pine for 18 games straight, and it’s pretty clear: this locker room’s been stewing in tension. One fan didn’t hold back, dropping the cold truth: “Should be today. Should have been in December still makes no sense why Drury let this season fall apart and made no change.”
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