The first-round playoff series against the Devils may feel like a home series for the Rangers, whose home arena in Madison Square Garden is just a 35-minute drive up the New Jersey Turnpike and across the Hudson River from Prudential Center, but the plan is to treat Games 1 and 2 like any regular road playoff contest.

“That’s what we did part of the season, I think it’s good,” Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant said after practice on Monday. “Playoff time, you know, you want the guys together. You want them to be around and we’re playing this the same way as if we were playing in Carolina. No different.”

So the Rangers stayed in a hotel overnight and woke up in Newark on Tuesday morning ahead of Game 1.

The plan is for the Rangers to practice at Prudential Center on Wednesday to keep everybody in the area through Game 2 on Thursday.

Those were intentional decisions made to replicate a normal road series schedule.

“I like it, all the guys like it, nobody’s complained about it,” Gallant said. “I think it has good value. I like keeping our team together in playoffs. Back in my day, which is quite long ago, we used to spend [time in the] hotel. Even when we’re at home, we went and spent it in hotels. We’ll see, I think it’s a good move what we’re doing and I think the players like it.”

Igor Shesterkin earned the starting nod Tuesday night, marking his 21st straight playoff start in a row for the Rangers.

The Russian netminder played in all 20 of the Rangers’ postseason games during their run to the conference final last year. He also played one game in the 2020 bubble playoffs versus Carolina.

Entering the playoffs with the highest career save percentage by a Rangers goalie (.928), Shesterkin is one appearance from sole possession of seventh place in franchise history among goaltenders.

His 37 wins this season were tied for the third most in the NHL. Only three goalies — Mike Richter, Henrik Lundqvist and Ed Giacomin — in Rangers history have recorded more.

Defenseman Ben Harpur was a healthy scratch for the fourth straight game.

Chris Kreider is one goal away from breaking a tie with Rod Gilbert for the most playoff goals in Rangers history. He is also one power-play tally away from tying Adam Graves on the club’s all-time list.