By dispatching the Atlanta Thrashers in four easy games, the Rangers extracted a huge monkey from their backs; after all, it had been nearly 10 years since their previous playoff victory. Although it’s certainly true that the Thrashers’ dismal Round 1 performance played a huge role in the outcome, to say that is not to take anything away from the Blueshirts’ steady, disciplined performance.

One of the biggest reasons the Rangers swept the Thrashers was their nonstop hustle. They’ll need to maintain that effort if they’re to keep up with — much less, defeat — their second-round opponent, the President’s Trophy-winning Buffalo Sabres. Perhaps the fastest team in NHL history, the Sabres boast incredible depth up front, enabling head coach Lindy Ruff to roll out four dangerous scoring lines at will.

“We certainly have to match their speed with our own attack,” said the Rangers head coach, Tom Renney, in a press conference call yesterday. “We’ve got to try to keep their power play off the ice and play disciplined. We need to stay poised and not get frustrated within our game because this is a team that can capitalize on our mistakes and miscues. They really do have a terrific transition game, and we’ve got to try to as much as possible eliminate that from their game.”

An X-factor for Buffalo is talented playmaker Tim Connolly, who returned from a yearlong absence (post-concussion symptoms) with a strong performance against the Islanders in Round 1. Able to stickhandle in a phone booth, Connolly gives the Sabres’ offense yet another lethal weapon at the season’s most critical stage.

Look for the Sabres’ forwards to mount a relentless attack on the Rangers’ inexperienced defense corps, and the Blueshirts’ fate will be determined by how their young blueliners respond to the heightened pressure. Everything the Rangers did against Atlanta, they’ll need to do even better against Buffalo, and that just might be too tall an order to fill.

Here’s a look at how these teams match up:

OFFENSE No NHL team is more dangerous up front — from top to bottom — than Buffalo. Their top line is centered by Daniel Briere (95 points) and also includes Jason Pominville (34 goals, plus-25 rating ) and the ever-steady Jochen Hecht (37 assists, plus-19 rating). The second line is even better, with hard-winger Derek Roy (42 assists, plus-37 rating) flanked by two of the league’s most dynamic goal-scorers, Thomas Vanek (43 goals, plus-47 rating), and the lightning-fast Maxim Afinogenov (61 points in 56 games). With “Mr. Clutch” Chris Drury and the aforementioned Connolly anchoring the other two lines, the Sabres have more than enough firepower to spare.

On the Rangers’ side, Jaromir Jagr is without question the key. Against the Thrashers, he scored the series’ first goal, setting the tone and demonstrating that his once-feared shot is again an effective weapon. Linemates Michael Nylander and Marcel Hossa both played extremely well in the first round and must continue to do so against Buffalo. Without question, perennial prime-time performer Brendan Shanahan will need to score some big goals if the Rangers are to keep pace with the Sabres. Grinding winger Sean Avery has made a huge impact on the Rangers’ second line, and it’ll be interesting to see whether he’s able to get under the Sabres’ skins as well as he did the Thrashers’.

Advantage: Sabres

DEFENSE Last season, the Sabres were derailed when four of their six starting defensemen went down with injuries. GM Darcy Regier addressed that concern during the off-season, signing Jaroslav Spacek away from the Edmonton Oilers, and the Sabres’ defense is in far better shape today than it was last spring. Finnish veterans Toni Lydman and Teppo Numminen are underrated, both capable of playing in every game situation, while All-Star starter Brian Campbell has continued to produce at a very high level in the playoffs (four points in five games against the Isles).

Without question, the Rangers’ defense was their biggest question mark entering their round 1 series against the Thrashers. With two rookies (Daniel Girardi and Thomas Pöck) and young Fedor Tyutin constituting one-half of their blue line corps, it seemed improbable that the Blueshirts would be able to neutralize the likes of Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa, but that’s exactly what happened. Led by the top pair of Marek Malik and Michal Rozsival, the Rangers’ rearguards will need to hustle even more if they’re to shut down the Sabres. It’s likely that Karel Rachunek (now fully recovered from a sprained knee) will return to action against the Sabres, giving the Blueshirts some valuable experience.

Advantage: Sabres

GOALTENDING Ryan Miller is emerging as one of the NHL’s finest netminders, and he gained some valuable playoff experience last spring, backstopping Buffalo all the way to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Very strong positionally, Miller is also acrobatic between the pipes. At the trade deadline, Regier dealt backup Martin Biron to Philadelphia in order to clear up the salary cap space needed to add Dainius Zubrus to the forward corps. The new backup, Ty Conklin, is solid at best, and the Sabres’ Cup hopes will be effectively crushed if Miller falters or goes down with an injury.

While Henrik Lundqvist’s only playoff experience came in last spring’s frustrating sweep by the Devils, the confidence he gained with his spectacular gold medalwinning effort for Team Sweden in the 2006 Winter Olympics more than makes up for it. It could fairly be said Lundqvist was one of the NHL’s top netminders in the second half, and a case could be made that he deserves consideration as a Vezina Trophy finalist (though Roberto Luongo or Martin Brodeur is the de facto favorite to win). He was absolutely stellar against Atlanta, and he’ll need to be even better with the likes of Briere, Drury, and Vanek swooping in on him shift after shift. If Lundqvist is forced out of the lineup, backup Kevin Weekes provides a solid if unspectacular alternative.

Advantage: Rangers

SPECIAL TEAMS The Sabres have tremendous offensive depth, but they don’t have a single player who compares with Jagr, who singlehandedly makes the Rangers’ power play one of the NHL’s most fearsome. Although it’s worth noting that the Rangers’ power play (18.5% effectiveness, eighth overall) scored only four more goals with the man advantage than Buffalo’s (17.4%, 17th overall).

The Rangers’ edge in penalty killing was more significant, as they surrendered seven fewer goals on 14 more power plays against (83.8%, 12th overall) than Buffalo did (81.4%, 20th overall). Interestingly, although the Sabres’ lineup is faster than the Rangers’, the Blueshirts actually scored three more shorthanded goals (11) than Buffalo.

Advantage: Rangers

PREDICTION The Sabres’ success during the regular season was impressive, but it’s important to remember that their record was padded by their sensational start (15–1–1). From that point forward, and particularly in the second half, the Rangers’ and Sabres’ records were far more similar, leading to the conclusion that these two teams are far more evenly matched than they’d appear to be at first glance. In the end, the opportunity to play Game 7 at home could turn out to be the most critical advantage the Sabres hold in this series.

Prediction: Sabres in seven.