Bantering Points: 5/2/23

Here are today's news and links:

Rangers News:

Highlights: NJD 4, NYR 0 (4:59 video via NHL.com)

Game Recap: Contrary to the team's mantra over the past two years, it turns out that there's plenty of quit in New York as the Rangers rolled over from the opening puck drop and never particularly threatened the Devils en route to a season ending defeat (CBS)

Mollie Walker heard from various Blueshirts' players prior to last night's game about the unpredictability that the Stanley Cup Playoffs can bring (NY Post)

Walker also pondered how this Rangers team with big names galore up and down the lineup couldn't even manage to win a single playoff round (NY Post)

Neil Best points out that with all the other big media markets whose seasons had already ended, the folks at NHL headquarters were likely rooting for the Rangers to advance deep into the playoffs (Newsday)

Best also wonders what's in store for the Blueshirts in the wake of their early exit from the postseason (Newsday)

Colin Stephenson previews some of the major decisions New York will need to make as they head into an offseason filled with question marks (Newsday)

Vincent Mercogliano offers his takeaways from the Rangers' final defeat of the 2022-23 campaign (LoHud)

Around the NHL:

The Calgary Flames relieved Darryl Sutter of his head coaching duties following the team's failure to make the playoffs a year after Sutter won the Jack Adams Award as the league's best coach (NBC Sports)

The Florida Panthers announced that they will be restricting ticket sales to only sell to residents of the United States in a feeble attempt to prevent Toronto Maple Leafs' fans from flooding their home games in their upcoming playoff series (Sportsnet)

The New York Islanders agreed to a two year, $1.55 million contract extension with forward Hudson Fasching (TSN)