If curious about the Rangers’ mentality heading into tonight’s Game 7 of their opening-round playoff series against the Senators, one need only to look back a single series of events, starting with about three minutes gone by in the third period of Game 6.
In the din of Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, with the Rangers already leading the game 3-1 but their backs against the wall by being down 3-2 in the best-of-7 series, captain Ryan Callahan took a blistering slap shot from Chris Phillips to his left hand. He could no longer hold his stick, but stayed on the ice and nearly blocked two more.
When he got to the bench, trainer Jim Ramsay examined him. At the next whistle, the Rangers were on the power play and out skated No. 24, no grimace on his face, just unwavering determination in his eyes.
“I think it just epitomizes what this team is about,” rookie Chris Kreider told The Post yesterday as Callahan skipped practice for what the team was calling strictly a maintenance day. “Guys are willing to do whatever it takes. I’ve been on a lot of teams growing up, and they all say they’re willing to do what it takes, but they’re not willing to back it up.
“He’s a captain. He leads by example, and I’ve never seen anybody lead by example with every single shift. He sets a tone. It’s eye-opening to see.”
Kreider joined the team for his first practice out of Boston College two weeks ago yesterday, and will get see a whole lot more of Callahan tonight, when the two are expected to take the ice on the same line for the second straight game, with playmaker Derek Stepan in the middle.
With the bright lights of Madison Square Garden playing host to its first Game 7 since the Rangers’ Stanley Cup-winning year of 1994, the pressure and excitement felt by all the players will be soaring.
“For the young guys, it’s a pretty special experience — playoffs alone, but Game 7s are amazing,” said Brad Richards, who won a pair of Game 7s en route to winning the Stanley Cup in 2004 with the Lightning and his current coach John Tortorella.
“We’re excited,” Richards added. “And we’re treating it like we have a great opportunity to do something special.”
Henrik Lundqvist was a part of a Game 7 two seasons ago, when the Rangers lost to the Capitals, 2-1, and their season was over in a blink of an eye.
“When you’re at a time when you’re season is on the line, the mental aspect is a bigger challenge,” Lundqvist said. “The key is to just control your emotions and focus on the right things. We’ll approach this game the way we approached the last game.”
That means with desperation and fortitude, exactly what Callahan displayed in his third-period heroics.
“I think we follow his leadership,” Kreider said. “This team has a whole lot of leaders, not just Cally, but he sets the mindset.”
bcyrgalis@nypost.com