The schedule is the schedule, as Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette put it, but the Rangers rose to the challenge of facing two of the toughest opponents they could’ve drawn coming out of the All-Star break.

A gutsy overtime victory against the Avalanche preceded this 3-1 win over the Lightning Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, where fans got to see the Blueshirts come out on the winning side of an energetic, low-scoring affair and put an end to Tampa Bay’s three-game winning streak.

As a result, the Rangers have now strung together a three-game winning streak of their own for the first time since mid-December.

The common theme in all three?

Goalie Jonathan Quick, who took his spot between the pipes for a third game in a row for the first time since he appeared in four straight in early November last season with the Kings.

Quick finished with 19 saves and held the Lightning off the board until the 5:29 mark of the third period, when Brandon Hagel cut the Rangers’ lead 2-1.

Peter Laviolette assured that Igor Shesterkin is “still our guy,” but it was clear that the Rangers head coach could not take the net away from Quick after his 32-save heroics against the Avalanche two nights prior.