Alexis Lafrenière's Foolish Decision May Cost the New York Rangers Their Playoff Hopes

No one quite expected the New York Rangers to struggle the way they have in 2024/25, and with just a few games left on their schedule, they'll need close to a miracle to make their Stanley Cup Playoffs dreams come true now.

Not only did they give up three early goals in a must-win game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but they also lost one of their most important players at the worst possible time.

Unfortunately, Alexis Lafreniere was full of frustration, jawing at officials on the bench, and after an icing call, he skated by official Chris Rooney, who then gave him a 10-minute misconduct, meaning that he's done for the remainder of the game.

It's unclear exactly what happened between Rooney and Lafreniere, but it was enough for the official to be fed up with the way he was being talked too, and now, the Rangers are down one of their best players as they look to pick up two key points in the Wild Card race.

The score against Tampa Bay right now is 3-1 in favour of the Lightning early in the third period, and while the Rangers aren't dead yet, a loss could all but eliminate them from Stanley Cup Playoffs contention in 2024/25.

Unfortunately, if this is a key reason why they bow out of the race, fans will be furious at Lafreniere, who has not taken the step forward that many would have expected from him this season, and while this isn't the thing that will cost them their season, it certainly highlights just how bad things have been going in New York.