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For the First Time in NHL History, the Islanders, Rangers, and Devils All Missed the Playoffs
Published:
Let us all have a laugh:
The Devils became an NHL team in 1982, when the Colorado Rockies relocated and were put into the Patrick Division. So this streak of at least one of those teams making the postseason had been going on for more than four decades.
It’s almost inconceivable that all three NYC (area) teams could miss the playoffs at the same time, since they make up 37.5% of the squads in the Metropolitan Division. The Rangers were dreck for most of the year, and finished last place in the division. They could finish last in the East depending what happens with Toronto down the stretch. The Devils are going to finish between 87 and 89 points while the Islanders went 9-12 in March and April to crash out of a playoff spot that might end up going to the Flyers.
The Devils have been mostly butt since they lost to the Kings in the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals. Martin Brodeur ain’t walking through that door in 2026, and FUCK Scott Stevens for the hit he put on Eric Lindros back in the day. But the Isles and Rangers are usually in the playoffs more often than not, so this truly is a rare occurrence. It’s historic and totally unheard of, like the Artemis II rover flying around the moon or the Phillies showing good discipline on the base paths.
Let it be known that the Flyers era of playoff hockey begins when they clinch on Monday night. The New York teams are OUT and the Leafs and Panthers are OUT. It’s a new era of orange.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com