Peter Laviolette was fired as coach of the Rangers on Saturday, ending his tenure after two seasons, the second of which was a massive underachievement of missing the playoffs.

General manager Chris Drury made the move less than 48 hours after the finale of a lost season that followed a trip to the Eastern Conference final last year and set the stage for Stanley Cup-contending aspirations.

Instead, the result was inconsistent, uninspired hockey that caused the Rangers to get eliminated from contention, finish six points out and cost Laviolette his job.

Assistant Phil Housley was also fired. Owner James Dolan and Drury are expected to start the search for a full-time head coach soon, and roster changes are all but certain to happen in the coming weeks and months.

“Today I informed Peter Laviolette and Phil Housley that we’re making a coaching change,” Drury said. “I want to thank them both and wish them and their families all the best going forward. Peter is first class all the way, both professionally and personally, and I am truly grateful for his passion and dedication to the Rangers in his time as head coach.”

Matthew Tkachuk skated with the Panthers in practice on Saturday, a sign that he may be ready to rejoin the lineup for Game 1 of the playoffs. The Panthers, who won the Stanley Cup last season, open Round 1 on Tuesday.

NBA: The Cavaliers’ Kenny Atkinson was announced Saturday as the winner of the National Basketball Coaches Association’s coach of the year award, after leading the Cavaliers to a 64-win season and the No. 1 seed for the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Tennis: Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz will play Holger Rune for the Barcelona Open title after straight-set semifinals on Saturday. No. 2-ranked Alcaraz beat No. 14 Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-4, while Rune dispatched Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-2 on the outdoor clay.