Why Rangers need Andrew Copp and Artemi Panarin in sync

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Not much is known about the lineups Rangers will start the playoffs with, and it won’t be anytime soon. Not until head coach Gerard Gallant and hierarchy Kaapo Kakko take a long look at the Finn’s expected return from the wrist injury/surgery that has sidelined him since January 21.

But we’ve seen enough in the seven games since the close to suggest that Artemi Panarin and Andrew Copp’s partnership will be pretty much set in stone until and after Ryan Strome returns from the lower-body issue that forced the center to die miss last four competitions.

Copp has Panarin centered on the left with Dryden Hunt, Jonny Brodzinski or Barclay Goodrow on the right in Strome’s absence. Hunt won the first three games before suffering a healthy scratch against the Flyers on Sunday. Brodzinksi, a nominal fourth-liner who had been scratched in the last two games, opened against Philly at this point before Gallant replaced him with Goodrow early in the third period.