Mission Number One for Gallant: Get Rangers Ready for the Playoffs

With first place in the Metropolitan Division no longer a possibility, thanks to the Carolina Hurricanes - the best team in the East - taking care of business last night at the Garden, there's only one thing left for the New York Rangers to do over the remaining two games of the regular season: get ready for the playoffs beginning next week.

Because the real season doesn't start until game 83. Games 81 and 82 are superfluous.

I'll cut Gerard Gallant some slack for deciding to dress Andrew Copp and Filip Chytil, even though the prudent thing to do would've been to give both players another night off. So long as first place was within reach, as head coach he had a responsibility to go for it. I get that.

But now that that ship has sailed, his duty is clear. With Artemi Panarin (upper body), Copp (aggravated lower body) and Kaapo Kakko (also lower body) not quite at 100 percent, it is vital that Gallant get them that way in time for the playoffs. Because if this team, which has been one of the most resilient of the 2021-22 season, is not fully healthy by the start of the first round, there will be no second round.

And given the current state of the Eastern Conference, that would be a crying shame. Because while the Blueshirts were taking it on the chin from the Canes last night, the Penguins were humbled by the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 in Pittsburgh and the Capitals were humiliated by the Islanders 4-1 in Washington. At this point, it doesn't much matter which one of these teams winds up in third place in the Metro or which one gets the wild card. Neither has what it takes to survive a grueling best of seven series.

Unless of course that grueling best of seven series happens to be against a Rangers team that isn't at full strength. That's why if Gallant has to dress Johnny Brodzinski, Greg McKegg, Julien Gauthier and Libor Hajek tonight against Montreal, then so be it. Seriously, if you can't beat a Canadiens team that gave up on the season weeks ago, shame on you.

For this team to go anywhere in the postseason, it must have all four of its forward lines and all three of its defense pairings in tact. As much as I admire Dryden Hunt's tenacity, he's a fourth liner at best. He has no business playing in the top six. Chris Drury acquired Copp so he could play on the second line with Panarin and Ryan Strome. Making sure that happens is mission number one.

Think about it: the Rangers are 14-8 against Eastern Conference playoff teams; that includes a 3-1 mark against the Pens, one of their likely opponents next week. That's a pretty impressive record, don't you think? As outstanding as Gallant has been behind the bench - and I'll say it again: he deserves serious consideration for the Jack Adams award - it would be the blunder of his professional coaching career if he were to jeopardize the best season this organization has had since 2015 all for a couple of meaningless points in the standings.

I don't think Gallant is that stupid; I think he knows what's at stake. He's pushed all the right buttons so far this season. Just a few more left to push.