Alexis Lafreniere made his first significant impact in the regular season, and now the 2020 first-overall pick is working on the playoffs.
With two goals in the Rangers’ riveting 4-3 double-overtime victory in Game 2 against the Hurricanes on Tuesday night at the Garden, Lafreniere was an offensive pistol after going without a goal in the first round against the Capitals.
“It’s just a continuation of his regular season,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “There’s good chemistry on that line. It has not been touched the entire year. Haven’t moved any pieces in or out in different directions.
“He was going tonight. When a player is going and you can see it — and I saw it — you want him out there more. You can find time, you can double shift him, you can find some extra minutes for him.
“That’s the same way of the regular season. I think he’s taken the regular season and the confidence he got from that he’s brought it into the postseason.”
Lafreniere became just the second Ranger in the past 15 years to score multiple goals in a playoff game at age 22 or younger, joining Filip Chytil, who did so twice in 2022.
After opening the scoring with a goal off a sharp wrister from the left circle, Lafreniere made it a 2-2 game at the 7:32 mark of the second period.
Accepting a drop pass from Artemi Panarin, Adam Fox waited until Lafreniere was on the doorstep to knock in a game-tying goal in the second period.
“I think it’s always been there,” captain Jacob Trouba said of Lafreniere. “Coming into the league at a young age in New York is not the easiest of roles to be put in. He works hard. He’s a great guy to be around. He’s a great teammate. He’s confident. He’s having fun. I think that’s when he’s at his best. He actually is a kid at heart and that’s a compliment I would say. He brings so much to the table, his skill, he plays hard. I think that’s something that gets overlooked with him. He’s a huge part of our team.”