Rangers’ Reilly Smith-Vincent Trocheck combo rediscovering its Panthers past

When caput coach Peter Laviolette rejiggered his top-nine statement combinations for Sunday’s lucifer against nan Islanders, he kept two-man combinations: wingers Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere; halfway and winger Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko; and halfway and winger Vincent Trocheck and Reilly Smith … from 8 and 9 years ago, erstwhile they were linemates successful Florida.

“I deliberation knowing him disconnected nan crystal makes a bigger quality than anything, conscionable having that comfortability and being capable to talk to him astir immoderate it is connected nan ice,” Trocheck told The Post up of Thursday’s Garden lucifer against nan Sabres. “That goes a agelong way.

“It’s been truthful agelong since we played connected nan crystal together, I don’t cognize if you could opportunity that america playing together successful 2016 and 2017 makes everything spell backmost to what it was. It’s going to return immoderate clip but arsenic I said, knowing him arsenic a personification disconnected nan crystal and being capable to talk astir things decidedly helps.”

Remember nan hype erstwhile Panarin and Patrick Kane rejoined forces a mates of years agone aft forming specified a move duo successful Chicago? Well, A) it didn’t activity astatine all; and B) there’s nary of that hype accompanying this move. So ne'er mind.

Smith has been precisely arsenic advertised since coming to New York from Pittsburgh successful a July trade, posting 8 points (2-6). He’s diligent, responsible and has flashed a decent magnitude of skill, skating for 10 games pinch Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider earlier shifting to nan correct pinch Trocheck and near helping Will Cuylle.

Maybe it’s not Jussi Jokinen-Trocheck-Smith for nan 2015-16 Panthers pinch nan statement connected for 26 goals scored and 10 against pinch an expected extremity percent of 58.84, but possibly it would magnitude to much than that if this portion remains intact. The Panthers, coached by Gerard Gallant, won their section pinch a first statement of Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov and Jaromir Jagr.

The Puddy Tats were beaten successful nan first information by nan Islanders, and 22 games into nan pursuing season, Gallant was fired, nan statement was divided and nan nine missed nan playoffs.

“When we played together successful Florida it was almost instant chemistry,” Smith, who group up Trocheck connected Sunday from nan slot aft stripping Samuel Bolduc of nan puck connected nan forecheck, told The Post. “We were not only going awesome connected nan crystal but we some were hitting strides successful our careers astatine nan aforesaid time, we were a akin property and we were having life experiences distant from nan rink that were comparable.

“So it was decidedly a nosy clip erstwhile we started playing together successful Florida and benignant of having nan acquisition and occurrence we had astatine nan aforesaid time. It was beautiful special. And our first twelvemonth successful Florida we had a awesome team, made it to nan playoffs erstwhile we weren’t really expected to do anything. So I deliberation that learning acquisition pinch each different has fixed america a small spot of comfortableness successful each facet connected nan crystal and disconnected nan ice.”

Smith, who will move 34 a mates of weeks earlier nan playoffs, was selected 69th wide by Dallas successful nan 2009 draft. He has antecedently played for nan Stars, nan Bruins, nan Panthers, nan Golden Knights, nan Penguins. So he has a adjacent magnitude of acquisition adapting to caller situations and caller teammates and linemates.

And he agrees pinch Trocheck that their narration disconnected nan crystal is nan astir important constituent arsenic they hook up astir a decade later. They person been a penalty-kill tandem for Laviolette from nan commencement of nan play and person not been connected for a PPGA successful 19:28 of shorthanded duty.

“We’ve ever been successful a imagination shot league,” Smith said. “I don’t deliberation either 1 of america has ever won nan league, but things for illustration that are a bully measurement to support successful touch pinch players.

“When you spell from statement to statement it’s really difficult to enactment successful touch pinch teammates, truthful things for illustration that spell a agelong way. It’s important.”

Smith arrived successful New York pinch rather nan resume, ninth successful his draught people successful points (521), 11th successful assists (306), 13th successful goals (215) and 14th successful games played (851). Yet important profession aliases not, nan lad from Mimico believes he has thing to prove.

“I deliberation nary matter who you are, you person to beryllium yourself each day. I don’t deliberation there’s a baseline wherever you tin say, ‘Oh, this personification has done this overmuch truthful he tin coast,’ you know?” Smith asked rhetorically. “I don’t deliberation that’s nan pedigree for a winning team.

“I’m here, I want to thief retired each azygous day, I want to amended my crippled each time and that’s been my mindset from nan start. I don’t deliberation anyone would expect thing other from immoderate different personification successful this locker room.”