Gerard Gallant: 2020 Rangers-Hurricanes playoff series 'means nothing'

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How much stock you put into “last time Team/Player X did Y, Z happened” depends on how superstitious you want to be.

For instance, the last time the Rangers came back from down 3-1 in a series, they did it against the Penguins, and also went to the Stanley Cup Finals. And, as Howie Rose tweeted last month, the 1993-94 Rangers had an identical record to the 2021-22 Blueshirts, and also had a 52-goal scorer.

Well, the last time the Rangers met the Hurricanes in the playoffs, they were swept in a best-of-five Opening Round series in the 2020 Canadian bubble, so history can work both ways.

Unless you’re current Blueshirts head coach Gerard Gallant, that is, who puts zero stock into what happened two summers ago in Toronto – or even in four games against the ‘Canes this year.

“That means nothing, not a thing,” Gallant said Monday. “We played them four times this year, and they outplayed us in at least three of those games for sure, but that means nothing to me right now. We’re a confident team and just beat a hell of a Pittsburgh team. We found a way to win a lot of battles, and that’s all that matters going forward.”

The Hurricanes won the Metropolitan Division with 116 points, the third-highest total in the NHL, but had to face a 100-point Wild Card in Boston, winning Game 7 3-2 to end a series where the home team was 7-0.

Home ice advantage will be huge – the Rangers were 3-1 at MSG in the Pens series – and since the 2020 series was in the bubble, neither team knows what that home atmosphere will bring this time.

Gallant, though, is confident the Rangers can find a way.

“We know it’s a challenge. Carolina’s a real good hockey team, but they went through a tough seven-game series with Boston too, so I think both teams are on an even keel,” Gallant said. “We’re going to take it one game at a time, but we feel good about our chances.”

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