Rangers' focus shifts to playoff chase after Winter Classic high

GREENBURGH — With the Winter Classic behind them and the Rangers coming down from the excitement of playing an outdoor game Friday in Miami, their practice on Sunday had a definite low-key feel.

And for a group desperate to keep its focus on the chase for a playoff spot, it was a welcome feeling.

“Yeah, for sure,’’ defenseman Braden Schneider said. “It’s kind of, you get home and you’re just exhausted because [of] all the stuff that goes into it. And the game itself, it’s a lot of energy. And obviously having your families out there is great, but it’s a lot going on around you.

“So it’s kind of like a little bit of a high that you’re coming off of, and you definitely feel pretty tired and need a day like today [Sunday] where you can .  .  . [Saturday] fly home and have a good sleep .  .  . and a practice day [Sunday] is nice to help kind of bring it back down to earth, for sure.’’

With 14 games left before the NHL shuts down for the Olympics, the Rangers need to be laser-focused as they continue their push to earn a playoff spot. They are 20-18-5 and outside of the playoff picture but are within striking distance in a tight Eastern Conference as they prepare to play the Utah Mammoth on Monday night at the Garden.

When they return from the break, they’ll have only four games before the March 6 trade deadline to show management that they are a legitimate playoff contender and a team worthy of being buyers at the deadline. So the time to make that statement is now.

“This stretch is massive, and you want to be able to try and get as many of them as you can,’’ Schneider said. “Because once that break happens and we come back from it, there’s not a lot of hockey left.’’

“We’ve got to be better, but we still have a pretty good chance. That’s a good thing,’’ Artemi Panarin said. “Obviously, we’ve got to win more games right now .  .  . We’re going to try to win them all.’’

They’ll still be without J.T. Miller, who will miss his seventh straight game with a shoulder injury. He practiced Sunday in a red no-contact jersey and seems to be close to returning.

They do have Mika Zibanejad coming off a three-goal, two-assist performance and Panarin coming off a two-goal, one-assist showing in their 5-1 win over Florida in the Winter Classic. Alexis Lafreniere had three assists, Vincent Trocheck had two assists and the power play was 2-for-3, so those are all good things they hope to build on.

Mike Sullivan, who will coach the U.S. Olympic team, agreed that these last games before the break will be huge for the Rangers.

“With every game that ticks off the calendar, games take on a heightened level of importance because the runway gets shorter,’’ he said. “And so we’re trying to maximize every opportunity we have in front of us. So you can look at block games however you want and suggest that it’s an important stretch. And my answer to you would be yes.

“Is there a heightened level of urgency? For sure, there is. With the parity in the league, there’s a lot of teams that are in the hunt. There’s not a lot of separation, especially in the Eastern Conference.’’

Panarin, who leads the team in goals (16), assists (28) and points (44), said the team “100%’’ believes it is good enough to make the postseason.

“We have enough [skill], I think, to be in the playoffs,’’ he said.

These next 14 games would be a great time to prove it.

Notes & quotes: Rookie forward Noah Laba (upper-body injury) skated on his own before practice .  .  . The Rangers are 5-10-3 at home but have the most road wins (15) in the league.

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.