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BOSTON (AP) -- It was only fitting that the two most disappointing teams in the NHL's Eastern Conference were eliminated from playoff contention on the same day.
Mike York scored with 80 seconds left in regulation and the New York Rangers forged a 2-2 tie with the Boston Bruins on Saturday, but the draw eliminated both teams from the playoff race.
|  | | New York's Kevin Hatcher and Boston's Steve Heinze can start reserving tee times now that their teams have missed the playoffs. |
The Bruins and Rangers were knocked out of the race when Buffalo beat Montreal 2-0 Saturday night. A tie or Montreal victory would have also eliminated Boston and New York.
There are now eight teams ahead of Boston and New York with at least 79 points -- the most either team can reach -- and eighth-place Buffalo owns tiebreakers over both.
"The two situations -- New York and (Boston) kind of mirrored themselves," Rangers forward Rob DiMaio said of each club falling short of preseason projections.
DiMaio should know as well as anyone. He was with the Bruins before a March 10 trade sent him to New York.
The Rangers, with a payroll of $61 million, were expected to be one of the better teams in the conference after they added several high-priced free agents. Some publications picked Boston to reach
the Stanley Cup finals.
"There was not a lot of emotion through most of the game," DiMaio said. "It's just two teams that are very close to being out of it. It's tough to take."
John Tortorella, a Rangers assistant, coached his first game in place of John Muckler, who was fired Tuesday. General manager Neil Smith was also removed as a result of the team's late-season fall from the playoff race. The Rangers are 1-8-2 in their last 11 games, including winless in six (0-5-1), and have been outscored 20-5 in their last four.
"The players were feeling good about themselves after the week we've had," Tortorella said. "We should allow them that."
Jay Henderson scored his first NHL goal and Antti Laaksonen added the other score for Boston, which is winless in five games (0-3-2).
York, who was robbed by John Grahame on a shot from in close seconds earlier, tied it on a rebound from the left post for his team-leading 26th goal, tops among rookies.
"You've got to learn how to play with a 2-1 lead," a very subdued Boston coach Pat Burns said. "They'll learn that."
Adam Graves scored the Rangers' other goal.
"We're here for one reason and one reason only -- and that's to win hockey games and make the playoffs," Graves said.
The Rangers didn't win enough and missing the playoffs for three straight years led Madison Square Garden to dismiss Muckler and Smith.
"You never want to see happen what happened," Graves said. "I think Mr. Checketts was sending a message. Unfortunately, it fell on two guys."
The Bruins grabbed a 2-1 lead when Laaksonen one-timed a shot from the slot at 12:55 of the second period after Andre Savage backhanded a perfect pass from behind the net.
Boston went ahead 1-0 when Henderson banked in a shot off Kirk McLean from behind the goal 16:06 into the opening period. Grahame had an assist, his first NHL point.
Graves' power-play goal 9:06 into the second tied it 1-1. He collected a rebound at the right post and slipped a backhander past Grahame.
Grahame and McLean each stopped 29 shots.
Before the game, the Rangers suspended defenseman Stephane Quintal for the remainder of the season "for conduct deemed detrimental to the hockey club." On Friday, Quintal was quoted in a French language newspaper as having requested a trade back to Montreal, and saying Petr Nedved was not a top caliber center.
Quintal, signed as a free agent July 6 after four seasons with the Canadiens, later told the New York Daily News that he asked for the trade in November. He denied making the comment about Nedved.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
NY Rangers Clubhouse
Boston Clubhouse
Rangers send Quintal home for 'detrimental' conduct
RECAPS
Philadelphia 3
Pittsburgh 2
Detroit 0
St. Louis 0
NY Rangers 2
Boston 2
Chicago 2
NY Islanders 2
Los Angeles 2
Anaheim 1
Buffalo 2
Montreal 0
Toronto 4
Washington 3
Tampa Bay 3
Florida 3
Calgary 3
San Jose 0
Edmonton 4
Phoenix 3
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Jay Henderson lights the lamp for his first career goal.
avi: 621 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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