3 keys for a long Rangers playoff run

The Rangers begin their chase for the 2024 Stanley Cup this afternoon as they take on the Washington Capitals in Game 1. While they may have a favorable matchup in the first round and are a top team, a long Rangers playoff run needs a lot more than skill and a matchup.

The Rangers must show up and stick to their game. They need their big guns to produce and their depth to stand out. The coaching staff needs to make adjustments and learn from mistakes. A long Rangers playoff needs all these, but there’s more to it than that.

1. The stars must show up

Much like last season, nothing the Rangers do in the postseason matters if the stars don’t show up. Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox will need to lead the way, with Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, and Vincent Trocheck doing the heavy lifting as well. Perhaps Alexis Lafreniere fits this mold as well.

We can talk about team defense, goaltending, coaching, depth, and specific players all we want. It won’t matter if these guys don’t produce. This isn’t exactly groundbreaking analysis. It’s the most obvious key to success for a long Rangers playoff run. We all know it.

This holds especially true on special teams. We know the penalty kill has been solid all year, but the powerplay will be the one that carries them. It’s part of the Rangers formula: Be 50/50 at 5v5, get elite goaltending, and convert on the powerplay. They can survive with two of the three. They will be nearly unbeatable with all three.

2. Igor Shesterkin must be his normal self

Igor Shesterkin is another key piece to the puzzle. The Rangers aren’t the analytical darlings that many want them to be, but they also don’t need to be. Shesterkin can mask a lot of defensive lapses and is a big part of the Rangers winning formula. Much like Henrik Lundqvist, he’s going to have to be near perfect.

Perhaps even more important is the timely save. Shesterkin struggled with this during his rut, and he’s mostly recovered at this point. He will need to make that odd-man rush save with the Rangers up 1, or the turnover chance with the game tied, or any other situation you may think of. For there to be a long Rangers playoff run, Shesterkin needs to be as flawless as possible.

3. Peter Laviolette cannot get outcoached

Peter Laviolette has been a breath of fresh air for the Rangers. Not overly stubborn, willing to adapt his system to his players, and making strong in-game adjustments have been strengths all season. But we can’t have him regress to what many feared with his initial hiring. He can’t just go back to “ole reliable” if things don’t go well for a game or two.

Beyond lineup choices, Laviolette will be relied upon to make critical in-game adjustments to matchups. If one line is getting torched, change that matchup. If we see the Panarin line getting smothered, try to get them away from their current matchup. All these little adjustments matter for a long Rangers playoff run.

The Rangers have the winning formula. They need to execute, and they need a bit of luck. Hopefully, this turns into a fun 2 month adventure for us all.