Rangers’ Jacob Trouba making Lightning feel his presence on ice

The first five letters of his name are the same as the first five of “trouble.’’ 

And trouble is what Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba has been for opponents during the spirited postseason journey the Blueshirts rode into the Eastern Conference Final Game 2 showdown Friday night against the two-time defending Stanley Cup-champion Lightning at the Garden. 

Trouba isn’t often highly present in the postgame boxscore. He doesn’t light the lamp very often, having scored just 21 goals in his three seasons with the Rangers, including one in 15 games this postseason. 

What the 28-year-old Trouba — with his imposing 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame — does on occasion is light up opposing offensive threats with bone-jarring hits. 

Ask Penguins star Sidney Crosby, who missed a game-and-a-half after a Trouba hit in Game 5 of the Rangers’ first playoff series. That hit changed the course of that series and had a big impact in the Rangers winning in seven games. 

Ask Seth Jarvis of the Hurricanes, who left Game 7 of the Rangers’ second playoff series victory with an “upper-body injury’’ as a result of a collision with Trouba. 

Who’s next? 

Lightning center Steven Stamkos and winger Nikita Kucherov were all over the Rangers’ defensive zone in Game 1, seemingly a constant presence around goaltender Igor Shesterkin. 

Keep an eye on those two players if you’re a Rangers fan looking for one of those players to be slowed down by a big hit. 

“Trouba’s been doing that for years,’’ Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. “The unfortunate result of what happened the other night [Jarvis getting hurt], I don’t think anybody wants to see happen, including Trouba. 

“Everybody’s well aware of the guys that can hit you. If you’re going into a corner with Trouba versus someone else on [the Rangers] you probably have a little bit a of a different mindset. 

“Trouba’s been a heck of a player in this league and his physical presence you do need that on teams that advance. For sure, guys are aware of who has that in him to make those hits.’’ 

Trouba was second only to enforcer Ryan Reaves in most hits during the regular season with 207. He led the team with 177 blocked shots. 

Rangers coach Gerard Gallant insisted before the game Friday night that Trouba isn’t headhunting, that the Crosby and Jarvis injuries were incidental from the hard contact they took from him. 

“He doesn’t go out there thinking he’s going to have a big hit,’’ Gallant said Friday. “When the hits come to him, he finishes the body checks. He doesn’t go out there before the game starts and say, ‘Well, I’m going to have a big hit tonight.’ I don’t think that’s in his mindset at all. It’s about playing good, hard-nosed hockey, and that’s what he does for us.’’ 

Gallant did concede, though, that those big hits “have effect during the game, there’s no doubt,’’ adding, “But it’s not a big, big issue in the game. You want him to play physical and you want him to play hard. But sometimes [those hits] turn shifts around for you and you get some momentum from them.’’