Back on March 7th, I wrote that the Rangers had to secure a top seed in order to avoid an early postseason matchup with a top contender such as Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. And while the Rangers played admirably down the stretch, the Penguins (not to mention the Devils) proved impossible to catch in the standings.

So here we are. Round Two. Rangers v. Penguins. Jagr v. Crosby. Gomez v. Malkin. Ideally it’s a matchup you’d rather see in the Conference Finals while facing a somewhat less intimidating opponent in the Conference Semis such as the Philadelphia Flyers, who knocked Alexander Ovechkin and his Washington Capitals out of the playoffs in a thrilling Game 7 decided in OT. Then again, no one said it was going to be easy - nor should it be.

Game 1 will open in Pittsburgh on Friday night, a full seven days after the Rangers disposed of the rival Devils in a lop-sided five-game series. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, swept their first round opponent (Ow-ttawa) in four games, and as a result have not played a game since April 16th. Fans can expect to see a good amount of rust from both clubs in the early goings of Game 1, a contest which could be decided by which team gets their legs underneath them the quickest.

At various times during this season, I’ve warned against an attitude of complacency with this Rangers team. I believe that as a fan base it’s time to raise the bar for our expectations once again. After seven straight years without a sniff of the postseason, it’s easy to forget that winning was once demanded at the Garden. And just because the Knicks still stink doesn’t mean that has changed.

in 2006, just qualifying for the postseason was a cause for celebration. In 2007, the Rangers’ four-game sweep of the Atlanta Thrashers was something they could hang their hats on. But in 2008, after throwing nearly $90 million at free agents Chris Drury and Scott Gomez, anything less than a trip to the Conference Finals should be considered a failure, no matter what team is standing in our way.

Captain-de-facto Brendan Shanahan agrees:

“I’m not taking anything away from last year. It was an important arrival. It was the first series the Rangers won in [10] years. There was a lot to be happy about.

“But the personality is different this year.”

So there’s your task, Blueshirts. The gauntlet has been thrown. Go get it.