The Rangers and Panthers are turning it up to 11.
In what was already a chippy start to Game 2 of their Eastern Conference final — Vincent Trocheck’s opening score was followed by a 10-man brouhaha at the Florida net — the physical play ramped up quickly.
Florida defenseman Dmitry Kulikov lowered the boom on the forward Alexander Wennberg as the Rangers were breaking out of their defensive zone just over halfway through the first period, earning himself two minutes for interference.
Kulikov’s shoulder made contact with Weinberg’s head, sending the winger to the ice, where he took his time getting up, and gingerly at that.
The penalty was reviewed for a potential five-minute major but remained a minor infraction, much to the chagrin of fans at the Garden.
Florida’s Ryan Lomberg added another massive hit on Blueshirts center Mika Zinbanejad with just over 6:00 left in the first.
The amped-up physical play was to be expected after the Rangers’ lackluster Game 1, a 3-0 loss in which they failed to get much going.
Coach Peter Laviolette, in a seeming attempt to shake up his team and send a message to the Panthers, scratched forward Kaapo Kakko in favor of 6-foot-8 1/2 Matt Rempe.
Follow The Post’s coverage of the Rangers in the NHL playoffs
- Rangers couldn’t match Panthers’ toughness as Stanley Cup drought continues
- Rangers eliminated by Panthers in Game 6 as long playoff run falls short of Stanley Cup
- Rangers’ biggest star deserved a Game 7 at the Garden
- Rangers can’t find winning combo despite slew of lineup changes
Rempe asserted himself with three hits in 3:07 of ice time in the first period as the Rangers led in box score stat, 21-15, after 20 minutes of play — with plenty more likely on the way.
