Rangers could take many paths to chase playoff dream

If this 51st Rangers-Islanders clash of Brock Nelson’s career represented No. 29’s final Battle of New York before he flees the rivalry as a free agent, he and his teammates could not have exited with less of a whimper.

Just checking here that the Rangers were not the only one of the teams on the Garden ice on Monday to have a mathematical shot at making the playoffs, correct?

Because the Islanders sure could have fooled everybody with the minimal amount of energy they invested in the 4-0 defeat to the Blueshirts that essentially guarantees they will be going home for the summer much sooner than later.

There can be no pretenses that Nelson, completing his 12th season with the only team for whom he has played, will be re-upping for a 13th. There can be no pretense that the old gang that coalesced around repeat runs to the final four in 2020 and 2021 has one more lap in it.