The conference finals have been something of a stumbling block for Rangers coaches over the last 15 years.
John Tortorella got this far in 2012 before losing to the Devils.
Alain Vigneault did so twice, clearing the hurdle in 2014 and losing in seven to Tampa in 2015.
Gerard Gallant made it in Year 1 and got fired after failing to return in Year 2.
David Quinn is the only Rangers coach since Tom Renney not to make it this far, and Quinn has the unfortunate distinction of being the only one saddled with a rebuild that he did not get to see all the way through.
Peter Laviolette, the first candidate interviewed by Chris Drury to replace Gallant, is at the center of this season’s Rangers renaissance — the franchise’s first Presidents’ Trophy since 2015 and the exorcism of the first-round loss to New Jersey a year ago that caused everyone to take a look inward.
“No one came close to knocking him out of the box,” Drury said Tuesday, one day before this Eastern Conference Final against the Panthers kicked off at Madison Square Garden. “I spent a lot of time on this hire as did our staff. A lot of it to me comes down to details and planning and you saw from the first minute of camp, the details we were working on, the pace at which practice and training camp were played. I think the guys understood right there, things around here were elevated and [you] gotta be ready to go.”
Laviolette has turned out to be exactly what this group needed.
He has implemented structure — not just in terms of a system, but in terms of how the Rangers work each day.
They practice intensely and with purpose. The communication between coach and general manager is completely open.
There are different ways of getting this far.
These ingredients can help the Rangers get to a place they’ve only been once in 30 years.
“There’s nothing I do that Chris doesn’t know and he’s really open with me as well,” Laviolette said. “We see each other pretty much every day, we talk every day. It doesn’t always have to be business, but I think just establishing that relationship.
“I knew Chris before I came here I worked with him before [with Team USA] and him the same for me as well. I think when you get to work with somebody, it becomes a little bit different in a good way. You’re spending more time. Maybe in the past that had been quicker, through a small tournament or a short stint of time. Now we’re together, we see each other every day.”
That same detail in communication has been noticed — and appreciated — by the players.
“I think you can tell when everyone’s pulling on the same rope and as a group, that trickles down to the players across the whole organization,” captain Jacob Trouba said. “That’s what you need this time of year.”
Drury’s belief that Laviolette was the right coach at the right time has been validated and then some by a group that has embraced everything he’s brought to the table.
The Rangers practiced with purpose on Tuesday, just as they have all season.
“He’s brought a lot of structure,” Barclay Goodrow told The Post. “I think we always feel like we’re very prepared for each and every game. I think he’s done a great job along with the other coaches just instilling his system, belief in this group. Think he’s done a great job.”
Laviolette has won all three conference finals in which his teams have played.
A fourth would bring New York its first finalist in a big four sport since the 2015 Mets.
Too long for the city and too long for the Rangers, who are aching to win eight more games and hold a parade for the first time in 30 years.
“When you get to this point in the season, you feel close,” Adam Fox said. “You can feel that within the fans and the team and I think obviously this year, there’s been expectations throughout the year. I think we’ve embraced them. Our goal has been to win the Stanley Cup.
“Obviously been 30 years since [1994], the fans get pretty hungry for it, especially in a big city like New York. I think we’re hungry, too. We want to accomplish that.”
