It did not take long for the hammer to come down after the Rangers’ season ended in first-round tears on Monday night.

Head coach Gerard Gallant and the Rangers parted ways Saturday, the team announced, following the Blueshirts’ massive disappointment of a Game 7 loss to the Devils, a 4-0 no-show that rendered their 107-point regular season a footnote.

The Post’s Larry Brooks was the first to report Gallant’s departure.

“I want to first thank Gerard for his work and commitment to the Rangers during his time as head coach,” Rangers general manager Chris Drury said in a statement. “I have a ton of respect for Gerard as both a coach and person and truly appreciate everything he did for us on and off the ice these last two seasons. After my evaluation of the season and discussions with Gerard, we mutually came to the conclusion that a change would be beneficial for both parties. I wish he and his family all the best in the future. Our search for a new head coach will begin right away.”

In two years as head coach, Gallant compiled a 99-46-19 record on Broadway, taking the Rangers on a Cinderella run to the conference finals last season before they played the role of a slain Goliath this time around.

The Rangers were just two wins away from the Stanley Cup Final last season and held a Game 3 lead over the Lightning before going on to lose that match and the next three in a row to put a halt to their run.

In a Zoom press conference on Saturday, Drury did not put a timeline on a new hire, nor did he lay out much of a criteria for potential candidates.

“Just looking for the right fit,” Drury said. “We’re not going to limit ourselves right now to any specific type of style or coach or experience. We’re going to look at a lot of different ways and see which way we can go to help this team reach its goals.”

Gallant took a jab at the ultimately correct rumors regarding his status at the team’s breakup day, defending his record, which included back-to-back 100-point regular seasons. His appearance for a press conference on Wednesday unto itself seemed to be a sign of safety, but like John Tortorella in 2013, it was not.

“I can’t believe I have to answer some of these questions about me getting fired,” Gallant said at the time. “If I can’t stand by my record and what I’ve done, I think there’s something wrong.”

Drury declined to specify what happened between Wednesday and Saturday to change the situation.

“We’ve talked a number of times since the loss in Game 7,” Drury said. “This is just where he and I, this week, mutually agreed that this was the best course of action.”

Darryl Sutter, who was fired by the Flames after seeming to alienate the locker room, could be an option.

So could AHL Hartford coach Kris Knoblauch, who would be the first head coach to be hired from within the Rangers’ system since 1973. Joel Quenneville will not be a candidate, according to The Post’s Brooks.

“I would like to thank Mr. Dolan, Chris and the Rangers organization for giving me the opportunity to be their head coach these last two seasons,” Gallant said in a statement. “The experience of coaching an Original Six franchise with such rich history and an incredibly passionate fanbase is something I will never forget. After conversations with my family and Chris, it became clear that this was the right decision for both myself and the Rangers at this time.”

Gallant falling on the sword does not necessarily mean there won’t be changes to the roster next season as well.

That is, in addition to the likely departures of pending free agents Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane — whom Drury pushed all his chips in to acquire at the deadline, knowing it was unlikely the Rangers would be able to sign them to extensions given their cap situation.

“Every offseason, you take a look at everything you can to do better,” Drury said. “Certainly the roster will be some of that. I’m excited with our team and we have a lot of very good players.”