Peter Laviolette spoke of the Rangers’ upcoming break in playoff game action with an apprehension that sounded like he’s been the head coach of this team since its run to the Eastern Conference final in 2022.
He, of course, has not.
It is just his first year with the club, and he was behind the bench of the team his Blueshirts just eliminated in the first round of this year’s playoffs, the Capitals, at that time two years ago.
But Laviolette views the reset his team is about to have as if he saw firsthand how that third-round matchup with the Lightning played out, with the Rangers going up 2-0 in the series after playing Game 1 one day after Game 7 against the Hurricanes.
Tampa Bay then rattled off four straight wins once their fresh legs shook off the cold.
“It seemed like we had six days going into this first playoff game and it was really good for our group,” Laviolette said following the Rangers’ series-clinching victory Sunday night in Washington. “We were able to get some rest right off the bat because the schedule was every other day for a month. It gave plenty of time to prepare and then it came time to actually work on things on the ice and so there’s a real value in that, where you can start to look at both opponents until you find out who you’re actually going to play. So there’s some value there and I do think the rest is important. Series that are not concluded yet that could possibly continue to go on, there might be value there.
“But there’s probably a lot of fact and proof behind the fact that a team that’s gone seven and has to walk right out of a Game 7 overtime win and walk right into the next series, they’re right on point with their game. It can go both ways.”
Whether the extra rest will serve as a benefit or detriment is yet to be seen, but the Rangers were scheduled to be off on Monday and Tuesday before they return to practice on Wednesday.
The Rangers could begin their second-round series as early as this weekend.
They’ll play the winner of the Islanders and Hurricanes, who will have a second chance to close out the series on Tuesday night in Raleigh, N.C.
The way the Rangers have practiced all season long should help with keeping their minds and bodies competitive, but a loftier task awaits no matter who their opponent ends up being.
“Of course it’s important,” Igor Shesterkin said. “We have [an] extra few days for rest, and it’s always good. That’s more time for practice and [to] build our confidence and see who we will play against next round.”
