The Rangers are in the endgame now as one of the final four teams vying for the Stanley Cup. To get a chance to actually compete for Lord Stanley, however, they’ll have to get through the reigning back-to-back champions, the Lightning. 

After skating in two series that went the distance of seven games, the Rangers have just one day between the end of their second-round triumph against the Hurricanes and the start of their first Eastern Conference Final appearance in seven years. Tampa Bay, on the other hand, swept their second-round tilt with the Panthers in four games on May 23, had two days off, and have been gearing up since then.

If facing the most dominant club in the league right now wasn’t enough, the Rangers will be squaring off with the most well-rested version of said team. It was going to be a mighty task no matter what, but the Rangers will certainly have their hands full in this one.

The Post’s Mollie Walker takes a look at how the teams match up:

This is far and away the most compelling goaltender matchup of the entire playoffs. You’ve got an established, lights-out veteran in the Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy on one end and an up-and-coming Hart Trophy finalist in Igor Shesterkin, who has taken the NHL by storm since he was called up just three seasons ago.

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There’s no doubt Vasilevskiy, 27, is a proven winner. He has been the most consistent at his position for so long and has collected rings in the process. Vasilevskiy will be the biggest challenge to overcome for the Rangers, who at times had trouble with the Penguins’ third-string netminder Louis Domingue in Round 1 and Hurricanes backup goalie Antti Raanta in Round 2.

That being said, the only other goalie who could maybe go save-for-save with Vasilevskiy is Shesterkin. 

The 26-year-old has a chance to prove he is in the same class as Vasilevskiy. He will be up against a high-powered Lightning offense that can bury teams in a single period. This is where legacies flourish, and Shesterkin will have his moment to do so. 

Advantage: Even 

Even without top-line center Brayden Point, who suffered a lower-body injury in the Lightning’s Game 7 victory over the Maple Leafs in Round 1 and hasn’t played since, Tampa Bay seemingly hasn’t missed a beat offensively. They’ve averaged 3.27 goals per game this postseason, while the Rangers aren’t far behind at 3.23.

The Lightning’s top-six forward group is stacked with the likes of Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Anthony Cirelli, Ondrej Palat, and Alex Killorn. Plus, they have a hard fourth line that features Patrick Maroon which has provided Tampa with some secondary scoring this postseason.

The Rangers have a top-heavy lineup as well, but the biggest difference is that players like Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider haven’t been able to consistently produce for the team in these playoffs. Mika Zibanejad has progressively improved throughout and the Kid Line of Alexis Lafreniere, Filip Chytil, and Kaapo Kakko has brought the same energy every game. However, it’s going to take more than that to outscore the Lightning.

Advantage: Lightning

Tampa Bay currently has the lowest goals-against average among teams who are still in the dance at 2.45 goals per game, while the Rangers have given up 3.08 per game. Similar to the Hurricanes, the Lightning have such strong defensive numbers because they are playing with the puck more often than not.

It’s worth mentioning that the Rangers’ Adam Fox leads all NHL defensemen this postseason in points (16) and assists (12). The reigning Norris Trophy winner is also tied with the Avalanche’s Devon Toews for the league lead in goals with four. Jacob Trouba has had an up-and-down postseason, while his D partner K’Andre Miller has been consistently effective on the defensive end. Ryan Lindgren has also been a warrior for the Rangers.

That being said, one of the most offensively talented defensemen in the NHL belongs to the Lightning. His name is Victor Hedman. And the rest of the Lightning’s top four defensemen – Erik Cernak, Ryan McDonagh, and Zach Bogosian – have been sturdy as well.

Advantage: Lightning

The Rangers had higher power-play and penalty-kill percentages than the Lightning during the regular season. While everyone says the regular season doesn’t matter, the disparity has continued in the playoffs for the most part. The Rangers are 13-for-40 (32.5 percent) on the power play since the postseason began and Tampa Bay is 11-for-48 (22.9 percent). The Lightning has had better penalty-kill numbers, having only allowed five power-play goals in the 41 times they have been shorthanded. The Rangers have given up just three more than that in the same amount.

The Rangers’ power play has been a key part of their success this whole season, however, and it’s seemingly heating up at the right time. Tampa Bay was one of the highest penalized teams in the league during the regular season. If the Rangers can exploit that, special teams could be an X-factor for them.

Advantage: Rangers

As head coach of the Lightning, Jon Cooper has missed the playoffs only twice, has led Tampa Bay to the finals three times, and won it all in the last two seasons. He’s led the Lightning back to the Eastern Conference Final despite notable personnel changes in the offseason and still has his team competing the same way. He’s the proven winner in this coaching matchup, but Rangers coach Gerard Gallant has played a major role in the team’s emergence as a legitimate contender this season.

Advantage: Lightning