Playoff-bound Rangers still have more work to do with nine games left

When training camp began last fall, the Rangers were not interested in declaring what was obvious to everyone watching: Making the playoffs this season was a must for a group that had finished its four-year rebuild and was ready to open the window on its next era of Stanley Cup contention.

But even if they wouldn’t say it publicly, they all knew the deal.

“I think everyone knew the feeling,’’ Ryan Strome said after the Rangers clinched their first playoff berth in five years with a 5-1 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. “I think we understood. You know, you look at our roster, you’ve got some of the best players in the world, some young talent, a little bit of everything, [including] probably the best goalie in the world.

“I mean, it’s time,’’ he said.

So, mission accomplished — as far as the minimum part of the season’s objectives is concerned. But with nine games left in the season, the Rangers have more work to do.

They’ve blown past Pittsburgh for second place in the Metropolitan Division and now find themselves in a battle for first place in the division with the Carolina Hurricanes. The Rangers (100 points) trail the Hurricanes — who defeated Anaheim, 5-2, on Sunday night — by two points.

Coach Gerard Gallant was asked Saturday if a division title is next on the agenda.

“Well, it better be,’’ he said. “You always fight for home ice [advantage]. You fight to get in the playoffs and then, when you’re having the season that we’re having, you want to get home ice. That’s the next goal.’’

It just so happens the Hurricanes will be visiting the Garden on Tuesday in the first of two contests remaining between the teams. Game on.

Gallant said sometime around Christmas, he started to understand the kind of season this could become for the Rangers. They had lost the final three games of a four-game trip to Seattle and Western Canada in early November, then ripped off an 11-1 run to improve to 17-4-3. And they were winning without goalie Igor Shesterkin, who was out with a groin injury.

“We were playing the right ways and winning games,’’ Gallant said. “We weren’t winning lucky because the goalie stood on his head. And I think, at that time, they said, ‘You know what, we’ve got something special.’ ’’

“[Making the playoffs] was something we talked about in the beginning of the year,’’ said Chris Kreider, who scored his 48th and 49th goals Saturday, tying Mike Gartner for fourth-most in a season in franchise history. “Get into the dance, punch our ticket.

“Now it’s about building our game. Trying to secure home ice. And getting ourselves ready.’’

For bigger and better things.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.