When two of the original six NHL teams and one added in 1967-68 all miss the playoffs in the same season, NHL history is being made. The Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, and New York Rangers hold this unlikely distinction for the 2024-25 NHL season.
Holding the LAST position in the Eastern Conference with an uninspiring 33-39-10 record tells the story of the Bruins’ woeful season. They were the worst road team in the conference, with a 13-25-3 record with just one game remaining in the regular season. Their goal differential was -50. They ranked 28th, with 2.69 goals scored per game. Their defense, or lack thereof, came in 25th, allowing 3.28 goals a game.
Jeremy Swayman, fresh off an eight-year $66 million contract renewal, has had a horrible year. He ranks 27th in wins (22) and save percentage (.894). His 3.08 goals-against average is decent, but he received little offensive or defensive support to improve those statistics. He held out during a contract dispute and missed the entire training camp. It hurt the team as he went 4-5-1 in his first 10 games. His record in the previous season was 7-1-2.
David Pastrnak has led the Bruins in scoring with 43 goals, 63 assists, placing him fourth in the NHL. But, after that, Morgan Geekie has had 33 goals and 24 assists, ranking him 93rd in the NHL. That puts most of the offense on Pastrnak’s shoulders. There’s only so much one player can do to carry his team to the playoffs.
The Bruins had a busy trade deadline, making multiple trades that included sending Brad Marchand, Charlie Coyle, Trent Frederic, Brandon Carlo, and Justin Brazeau to other teams. In return, they acquired players like Casey Mittelstadt, William Zellers, and draft picks. The trades were a major shift in the Bruins’ roster, with some analysts suggesting it was a “fire sale”.
Pastrnak’s reaction to the trades tells a lot about the downward path the Bruins have undertaken.
On the NHL trade deadline day, March 8, 2025, the Boston club’s record was 29-28-8. They were two points out of a wild-card spot, but for some reason decided to trade numerous players and build for the future. From that point forward, they went 4-11-1 and dropped out of contention for the postseason.
The disappointment of Bruins fans is obvious. This was a team that had 135 points and 109 points in the last two campaigns. They lost their final game in overtime Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils, giving them 78 points, which would surpass the 82-game total of 77 points set in 2006-07.
The off-season may hold some decisions needed to get this team back into contention again. They certainly do not wish to be part of NHL history for missing the playoffs again.
Another team that had a letdown year was the New York Rangers. They, along with the Bruins, made NHL history but in a negative manner. They currently hold a 38-36-7 record and have been eliminated from playoff contention. This is after going to the Eastern Conference Final twice in the last three seasons. They won the Presidents’ Trophy, awarded to the team with the most points last season.
So what were the Rangers’ reasons for their lack of success? The power play was pretty dismal, with a 17.7 percent success rate. With scorers like Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and Chris Kreider, they could have improved on just 37 power-play tallies thus far this season. The team underperformed, going 3-10 in December and 6-9 in March. Three of the losses in March were overtime losses. The Rangers couldn’t win at home with an unimpressive 18-19-3 record, the worst in the Eastern Conference.
Then, Igor Shesterkin performed below par with just a 26-29-5 record, carrying a .903 SV% and a 2.91 GAA. Last season, he went 36-17-2 with a .912 SV% and a 2.58 GAA. What a difference a year makes.
The Rangers were very active before the trade deadline. They needed to change, and they moved out some players. Gone are Filip Chytil, Kaapo Kakko, Jimmy Vesey, Ryan Lindgren, and Reilly Smith. Much like what the Bruins did to revamp their lineup, the Rangers followed suit and failed to get the job done.
So, how do the Rangers move forward? Many have been calling for the Rangers to move on from head coach Peter Laviolette when the season comes to an end later this week. While all signs are pointing towards that, the long-time head coach is hoping to stay. “Everything gets looked at,” he told Mollie Walker of the NY Post. “I’m not blind to anything. It’s a year where everything went right to a year where things didn’t go right. When things don’t go right, everything gets looked at. I’m not naive.
“That being said, this is the place I want to be. New York City, the New York Rangers. It’s a great organization, a great city, and a great family. It’s just tough right now, everybody is faced with disappointment, I get that.”
The Rangers will only have $9.68 million in cap space to improve the roster. That may mean players like Kreider may need to be moved. And, perhaps a new coach wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
The Penguins complete the trifecta of teams not making the playoffs along with the Bruins and Rangers in one season. They have a current record of 33-36-12, good for 78 points and the seventh position in the wild-card race. What has been proven by the failures of the Boston and New York teams is that even with a superstar player, there are no guarantees of getting to the postseason. Panarin couldn’t get his Rangers in, and Pastrnak failed to get his Bruins in the playoffs. In Pittsburgh, Sidney Crosby did his best with 89 points in 79 games, only to fall short.
For Crosby, who is 37 years old, there may not be too many more chances to grab another Cup. Missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season doesn’t bode well for the Pens to be competitive for a bit. It took the Pittsburgh group until the 36th game of the season to go above the .500 mark with a 16-15-5 record.
Their usual strong defense wasn’t getting the job done. They allowed 291 goals, the most of the wild-card seeking teams. Goaltending was a huge reason they didn’t qualify for the playoffs. Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic were both ineffective. Jarry has a .893 SV% and a 3.12 GAA. Nedeljkovic wasn’t much better with a .894 SV% and a 3.16 GAA.
On the bright side, the Pens will have $23.8 million in cap space, along with 10 draft selections, including two first-rounders and three third-round selections. But the big question will be: are they too old, and can they survive if Crosby’s play ever deteriorates?
These three teams are just too talented to be missing the playoffs. Look for them to make some necessary adjustments to stay competitive, which can include trades and coaches losing their jobs. All three are hoping not to be included in NHL history in this fashion again.
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