Rangers draw Panthers for Eastern Conference Final showdown
The Eastern Conference Final is set.
The Rangers will face the Panthers, who are looking for a return trip to the Stanley Cup Final, after Florida finished off the Bruins in Game 6 of their series on Friday night with a 2-1 victory.
This series, which will start at Madison Square Garden with the date yet to be announced, pits the Metropolitan Division victors against the Atlantic Division winners.
It is one Stanley Cup-winning coach, Peter Laviolette, against the coach he replaced to get his ring 20 years ago, Paul Maurice.
It is one legendary Russian goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky, against another well on his way to all-time status, Igor Shesterkin.
It is one face of the league, Matthew Tkachuk, against another, Artemi Panarin.
Unlike Carolina in the second round, there is not a well-established familiarity between these teams.
Follow The Post’s coverage of the Rangers in the NHL playoffs
- Rangers couldn’t match Panthers’ toughness as Stanley Cup drought continues
- Rangers eliminated by Panthers in Game 6 as long playoff run falls short of Stanley Cup
- Rangers’ biggest star deserved a Game 7 at the Garden
- Rangers can’t find winning combo despite slew of lineup changes
They faced each other three times during the regular season, with Florida winning twice in regulation and the Rangers taking one in a shootout, but any bad blood between them will need to spring from whatever happens in this series.
The two sides have faced off just once before in the playoffs, with the Rangers beating Florida in five games in the 1997 Eastern Quarterfinals.
This, however, is a test befitting the Rangers as they look to defeat another franchise looking to call itself the new preeminent team in the Eastern Conference with the Lightning’s decline.
A roster that features high-end scorers in Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe alongside top defensemen Gustav Forsling, Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad should test the Rangers to their core.
But after Thursday’s comeback victory to put away Carolina, the Rangers will be ready to bet on themselves again.