Well, that’s a feat these Maple Leafs won’t get to do very often – eliminate another team from the 2026 playoffs.

Hanging on mathematically themselves with their last two victories, their 4-3 decision over the New York Rangers on Wednesday officially knocked the Eastern Conference’s last-place team from the race.

Not a shock given New York started the season with that astounding string of three shutout losses at home and struggled with the East’s weakest offence throughout. But the reality was numbing nonetheless, a second straight year out of the post-season tourney after making the conference final the year before.

“I don’t think anyone thought we’d be where we are right now, eliminated with this many (nine) games left,” first-year captain J.T. Miller said. “That’s obviously the worst, but that’s not on my mind now. We’re just worried about playing good hockey games at the end of the season and feeling good going into the summer.”

At one stage of the post-Olympic break, the Rangers were hot, a run of 6-1-2 that was putting heat on the Leafs among others. Now it’s six straight without a win (0-5-1), the last three edged by a goal. They nearly came back from a 3-0 deficit on Wednesday at Scotiabank Arena.

“It just sucks that a lot of times we feel like we deserve to win and didn’t come out on the right side,” Miller said. “It stings.”

Head coach Mike Sullivan, as is Leafs counterpart Craig Berube, is using new players, calling up 2022 second round pick Adam Sykora for his first NHL game Wednesday, already utilizing 20-year-old Gabe Perreault on the first line.

Before puck drop, Sullivan agreed that keeping spirits up in the dressing room has become a big part of his job description.

“That is the (greatest) challenge when you’re in the circumstance we are. The conversation around the group is making sure that we have a certain expectation of one another, that we all have a responsibility to live up to every day.

“If we do that, we can have a good feeling about what’s going on every day. If we don’t, it’s on us to change it. We’re going to try and move the needle every day, be a better version of ourselves as individuals and as a group.”

And like the Leafs, hope it makes a difference next year.

Lhornby@postmedia.com

X: @sunhornby