At practice yesterday, the Rangers prepared for Game 6. Tonight, they’ll have a third opportunity to close out the Hurricanes. They’ll have to get it done in enemy territory.

Coach Peter Laviolette hinted at some possible lineup changes. One could be to the defense. Following a rough Game 5 in which Jordan Staal beat him for the tying goal early in the third period, Braden Schneider was back on the third pair with Erik Gustafsson.

Jacob Trouba was back with K’Andre Miller on the second pair. The Rangers captain hasn’t played with Miller since Apr. 11. It was the third to last game of the regular season. He and Miller went a combined minus-5 in a 4-1 loss to the Flyers.

After seeing them struggle for a while following Trouba’s return on Mar. 30, Laviolette decided to make a switch to the blue line. Schneider moved up to work with Miller while Trouba moved down to play with Gustafsson.

The Rangers had more success after those changes. They won their final two games on the schedule and went 7-0 against the Capitals and Hurricanes in the playoffs. However, with the Canes rallying to take the last two games, Laviolette looks like he’s seriously considering going back to his original defensive pairings.

If that’s how they line up, it better work out. The last thing they need is a bad game from Miller and Trouba. Miller has been the most consistent Rangers’ defenseman in the postseason. He’s played with more physicality and done a good job in his end. There hasn’t been as much hesitation to his game.

Aside from the possibility of a different look on the back end, Laviolette also might make a change up front. Following Game 5, Jonny Brodzinski took line rushes with Barclay Goodrow and Jimmy Vesey. With Matt Rempe being managed carefully by Laviolette, Brodzinski could return to the lineup. He played 8:49 in Game 4 on the fourth line.

To be honest, inserting Brodzinski for Rempe is a minor change. Sure. He’ll get a few more shifts. But what kind of impact will it have?

It feels like the Rangers are hiding something with Filip Chytil. He played in Game 3 and hasn’t been seen since. If he can’t absorb hits without needing time to recover, then what’s the point of bringing him back?

A fully healthy Chytil could help the lineup. He’s a dramatic upgrade on the third line. But, the organization won’t answer any questions regarding his status. He again skated with the extras in Carolina. There’s no indication that he’ll play tonight.

In Game 5, Alexis Lafreniere took 19 shifts. He only played 14:36. While it’s true that it was the one game that he wasn’t as effective, Lafreniere was more noticeable than Artemi Panarin.

Even though he doesn’t play on the top power play unit, Laviolette needs to find a way to get Lafreniere more ice time. He’s got younger legs and is strong. He’s tough to knock off the puck on the forecheck.

What’s wrong with double shifting him on the fourth line? I’d rather see him getting extra shifts than a banged up Chris Kreider. After taking a maintenance day, Kreider declared himself good to go for Game 6.

Lafreniere is one of the best Rangers at five-on-five. He has performed well all season long. If they are to advance to the next round, he’ll be a part of it. If Jack Roslovic struggles early, Laviolette should consider moving up Lafreniere for a few shifts. He can handle the extra ice time.

It’ll be interesting to see how both Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren look. Fox clearly hasn’t been himself in this series. With just two assists, he’s been hindered by whatever is ailing him. Nick Jensen’s leg on leg hit has had an effect. Fox’s skating hasn’t been as good. He’s gotten beaten by numerous Hurricanes defensively.

As for Lindgren, he didn’t play as much last game. Whether it was due to the Hurricanes’ offensive explosion in the third period or him possibly being banged up, he saw the fewest minutes (14:11) at even strength by a Rangers defenseman.

Lindgren had four hits and blocked four shots. Maybe the coaching staff decided to rest him in preparation for Game 6. He’s a gamer. He’ll be ready to go.

Regardless of what the lineup is, they must do a much better job against the Hurricanes. They’ve gained momentum by being more aggressive on the forecheck. The Rangers have been guilty of giving the Canes too much time to set things up. They’ll need to tighten up defensively.

The best way to counter the Hurricanes’ attack is to chip pucks out and catch their defensemen pinching. The Canes love to jump in offensively. That mindset is how they play. Smart reads by the Blueshirts and subtle defensive plays can create odd man rushes.

Obviously, they need to play more in the Carolina end. There hasn’t been enough forecheck pressure from the top two lines. Whether it’s skating the puck in or getting it deep and recovering it in a corner, those will be keys to getting a win.

The more they can play in the offensive zone, the better chance they’ll have. The Canes have done a better job killing penalties. The Rangers haven’t scored a power-play goal since Game 2. Both Chris Kreider and Vincent Trocheck capitalized in a 4-3 double overtime win.

Will there be an adjustment to it? Laviolette prefers quick puck movement to set up shots. We’ll see if they can do a better job.

Igor Shesterkin has allowed 7 goals on 58 shots over the last two games. The third period collapse wasn’t his fault. The Rangers sat back and paid for it. However, he gave up a bad rebound on the Evgeny Kuznetsov winner that saw him beat Panarin for the goal. He also got caught too far back on the Jordan Staal tying goal where the Hurricanes captain went around Schneider.

Shesterkin can’t cover for every Rangers mistake. He was superb in the first period, making some clutch stops on dangerous Canes’ chances. However, he can be better than the last two games. He gives them the biggest edge. The Rangers must take advantage of that if they want to avoid a Game 7.