RALEIGH, N.C. — The Rangers have rightfully been satisfied with a majority of their play in this second-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Hurricanes.

Aside from Game 5, in which head coach Gerard Gallant said his team looked tired in a 3-1 loss that put it on the brink of elimination for a fourth time this postseason, the Rangers — win or lose — were often able to point out positives and key takeaways to learn from in each contest leading up to this Game 7 showdown with the ’Canes on Monday night at PNC Arena.

They’ve not only gone toe-to-toe with a Carolina team that is more accustomed to this grand playoff stage, but the Rangers have at times looked like the better team in a series so many think they have no business being in.

The better club will win this one, and the Rangers have maintained the belief that it could be them.

“I think we have confidence going into [Monday night],” Andrew Copp said after the team had touched down in Raleigh. “[Gallant’s] been happy with probably five of the six. We feel like we have a recipe for success. But they probably do, too. So it’s one of those where both teams feel confident. It’s just gonna be a matter of who can play the closest to a perfect game.”

Going down two games to none after a pair of games that had a score of 1-0 until the final three minutes of regulation could’ve taken a toll mentally on the Rangers. But they responded with convincing wins at home in Games 3 and 4 to even the series.

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Up until they allowed two goals in Game 6 Saturday night at the Garden, the Rangers and goalie Igor Shesterkin had limited the Hurricanes to just a single goal in regulation in each contest (not counting Sebastian Aho’s empty-netter in Game 2). To accomplish that against one of the top-10 offensive teams in the regular season is no small feat.

Having a goaltender who’s a Vezina and Hart trophy finalist like Igor Shesterkin, however, can always be the difference for the Rangers.

Should Shesterkin continue his heroics, the Rangers will have a chance to set up a date with the Lightning in the Eastern Conference final no matter what. The onus will be on the rest of the lineup to do its part.

“He’s been unreal,” Gallant said of Shesterkin, who has a 2.74 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage through his first real 13 playoff games. “We rely on him. He makes key saves for us at big times and gives us a chance to win every game we play, no matter who we’re playing.”

Frank Vatrano drove home the fact that the Rangers know how good of a team they have. From the legend-in-the-making in goal, the Norris Trophy-winning defenseman in Adam Fox on the back end and the plethora of dynamic forwards up front, the Rangers are built to finish off this series.

They’ll have to deliver on that notion in order to get back to the conference final for the first time in seven years. They’ve played well enough to win before ultimately falling short twice already on the road in this series. But even if they compete hard Monday night, it won’t mean anything if the season is over.

“Being an underdog or being the favorite, for us, whatever’s said outside the room doesn’t matter,” Vatrano said. “For us, it’s knowing how good we are. Knowing the confidence we have in one another. Knowing that we’re gonna do the job and you can’t look at the past games that we’ve played in this rink. You just gotta look at the one [Monday night].”