The last time the Rangers had as lopsided of a playoff-opening win as they did in their four-goal victory over the Devils in Game 1 Tuesday night, it was 1994.
The Rangers crushed the Islanders 6-0 not just in the series opener, but in Game 2 as well.
We all know how those playoffs ended, with Mark Messier and the Rangers hoisting the Stanley Cup around Madison Square Garden to break the 54-year curse.
It was a tone-setting start to the postseason, and the Rangers hope similar to their 5-1 win at The Rock.
In the grand scheme of things, however, the Rangers haven’t done anything yet.
That was not lost on the players who spoke to the media in the Rangers locker room after the win.
They steered the conversation toward the furious response they are expecting from the Devils in Game 2 on Thursday, as well as the areas in their game they can improve.
“I think our older guys, specifically, have done a good job of kind of instilling that in us since last year,” K’Andre Miller told The Post after practice at Prudential Center on Wednesday. “Obviously, we had some games last year where we were up, a couple of games where we were down, I think that’s just playoffs. It’s just about managing that and going about your business and trying to do the same things that got us to this point.”
As intent as the Rangers are on moving on from Game 1, the Devils are hellbent on it.
Going 0-for-4 on the power play, having 23 of 28 shots blocked and finishing with 13 giveaways is not the playoff start the 52-22-8 Devils envisioned.
The fifth-highest scoring team in the NHL this season was limited to a single goal, and it came from Jack Hughes on a penalty shot late in the third period. The only consolation was avoiding the embarrassment of a shutout.
Lindy Ruff did not come out and say there would be no lineup changes.
Instead, the Devils head coach admitted there will be discussions about it. There’s a good chance the Devils pivot their personnel. The Rangers could see goalie Akira Schmid replace Vitek Vanecek, who backstopped the Devils for a majority of the season. Hughes’ little brother, Luke, may also get a look.
“The one thing we guaranteed ourselves is that we’re going to put the game away and we’re going to focus on the next game,” Ruff said.
The Rangers were on both sides of a 2-0 series lead during last season’s playoffs, in addition to a 3-1 deficit.
Falling behind early in the first-round series against the Penguins and the second-round series against the Hurricanes ended up not meaning anything. Neither did the Rangers’ 2-0 lead over the Lightning in the conference finals.
That is the kind of experience that should shape the Rangers’ psyche as they prepare for their next meeting with the Devils.
“This time of year, it’s just one game at a time,” head coach Gerard Gallant said. “The game is over with, it was a good win for us, but that’s in the past. You’ve got to get ready today, you come in and have a light skate and a light practice and get ready for [Thursday]. That’s what it’s going to be, stay at the same level. Doesn’t matter who’s winning 1-0, it’s about winning the series.”