Thanksgiving is a popular benchmark in the NHL, and perhaps rightfully so.
Since the League adopted its current postseason format in 2013-14, roughly 77 percent of teams in playoff spots on United States Thanksgiving advance to the Stanley Cup Playoffs at season’s end.
At face value, that could be interpreted as bad news for the New York Rangers, who sit outside the playoffs 25 games into the 2025-26 season. Even after back-to-back wins, the Rangers (12-11-2) are tied for last in the Metropolitan Division with the Columbus Blue Jackets (26 points), just four points out of the cellar in the Eastern Conference.