SUNRISE, Fla. — Alexis Lafreniere, more than most people, knows what it’s like to struggle under pressure.
That is what makes Sunday — what makes these playoffs and this season as a whole — so transformative for the former No. 1 overall pick, who is now wearing that title with a flourish that did not exist a year ago.
As the conference finals took another turn, with the Rangers winning 5-4 in overtime in Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead, Lafreniere was in the center of the proceedings in all the right ways for a Rangers team that looked overmatched for much of the afternoon.
The Panthers held an 83-37 edge in shot attempts at five-on-five that very much reflected which way the ice was tilted throughout, and forced the Rangers to rely on individual brilliance for their scoring.
Lafreniere provided that in droves, scoring a pair of goals that included an end-to-end finish that will go on his career highlight reel.
“He’s obviously a spectacular player,” said Vincent Trocheck, whose breakout pass fed Lafreniere on his first goal, “and he makes plays like that [first goal], you know he’s capable of.
“Second one, I didn’t even know what he was capable of. He was dancing.”
For those who have paid attention to the Rangers this season, Lafreniere’s breakout has already happened.
He scored 28 times in the regular season, blowing away a previous career-high by taking the top-six opportunity that Gerard Gallant never gave him and running away with it.
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“I think just working out hard [last] summer, trying to improve my skating a little bit and just try to play my game,” Lafreniere said, regarding the source of the confidence that’s now evident whenever the puck is on his stick. “Make plays. Obviously playing with [Artemi Panarin] and Troch helps a lot.”
In that sense at least, there’s not much new here.
But in the bigger sense, that in which Lafreniere is regarded as a talisman for the franchise going forward, someone who can be trusted on a stage like this, who will be playing big minutes in big situations for a long period of time?
Well, these playoffs serve as an impressive confirmation at the very least.
“He’s a young kid,” Trocheck told The Post. “Last year, a little less opportunity. With more opportunity you get more confidence. I definitely saw confidence in him last year. I think he’s taken another step with it this year.
“Anytime you have the trust of the coach, it definitely gives you confidence. But yes, production does help.”
If New York ever seemed like too big a stage for the soft-spoken Quebecois, it sure doesn’t anymore.
Neither do these conference finals.
He has made them his own.
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