After going on the road and defeating the Metropolitan Division champion Carolina Hurricanes in Game 7 two nights ago, the Rangers are back in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2015. Across the ice stands a familiar opponent, as the Blueshirts will once again clash with the Tampa Bay Lightning with a berth in the Stanley Cup Finals up for grabs.
This meeting is one that has seen New York’s rebuild come full circle after the Lightning all but ended their previous window of championship contention in that 2015 series. Chris Kreider is the only Ranger still with the team all these years later.