It all begins tonight. The Conference Finals will determine who plays for Lord Stanley. The Rangers are looking to book their ticket when they battle the Panthers.

The Eastern Conference Final features the two best teams. The Rangers finished with the league’s best record to win the Presidents’ Trophy. The Panthers won the Atlantic Division with 110 points. Four points separated the two teams during the regular season.

After sweeping the Capitals, the Rangers earned a place in the Final 4 by taking out the resilient Hurricanes in a closely fought six-game series. They once led 3-0 before the Canes stormed back. It took a great performance by Chris Kreider in the third period of Game 6 to eliminate Carolina. Now, they’re a giant step away from playing for the Stanley Cup.

The Panthers proved to have too much against the interstate rival Lightning in a five-game series win in a competitive first round. After losing the first game against the Bruins, they took control of the second round by taking the next three games. Boston made it interesting by forcing a Game 6 back in their building. Undeterred, the Panthers used a Gustav Forsling goal late in regulation to defeat the Bruins in six games.

A year ago, the Panthers upset the Bruins to go on a run to the Stanley Cup Finals. But after sweeping the Hurricanes, they lost to the Golden Knights in five. They’re seeking to win the franchise’s first Cup since its inception in 1993-94.

There’s no doubt that the Panthers are very proven. They want to finish what they started. The Rangers will face their toughest test yet.

Rather than go through the matchups, let’s look at some of the key players instead.

The Panthers boast two of the game’s best in Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk. Barkov is one of the league’s best two-way players. The Panthers captain is a great skater with dynamic skills. He can make it look easy.

Tkachuk is the player you love if he’s on your side or you hate if he’s not. A physical power forward who hits hard, he’s an elite player who makes a living in front of the net. Tkachuk has changed the way Florida plays. He’ll do anything it takes to win. Asked about facing the Rangers, he was very complimentary.

If Barkov and Tkachuk are their top stars, Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe rank right behind due to their scoring. Each can light the lamp with regularity.

Reinhart has been lethal since being put with Barkov. Together, they’re a deadly combo. Reinhart had a career high 57 goals this season. His 27 power-play goals led the league. He’s 5-4-9 in the postseason. He can score both in transition and on tip-ins.

Verhaeghe remains a clutch performer. His six goals lead the Panthers in the playoffs. Two have been game-winners. One came in overtime against the Lightning in Game 2 of the first round. When the chips are down, Verhaeghe has a knack for delivering big goals. He likes to go high glove with most of his shots.

Sam Bennett is a gritty forward who plays on the edge. His controversial reverse hit on Brad Marchand last round looked to have been a rabbit punch that kept Marchand out for two games. Bennett then scored a big goal against the Bruins in Game 4. It was also a controversial play due to him shoving Charlie Coyle into Jeremy Swayman to put in a rebound. In just six games this postseason, he has 25 hits. Like Tkachuk, he makes opponents pay.

Flying under the radar is Anton Lundell and Evan Rodrigues. Lundell is still only 22. He’s coming off a strong series in which he had two goals and three assists for five points. Rodrigues is no stranger to facing the Rangers. He was on the Penguins two years ago in a series the Rangers came back to win. A high-energy player who has a good shot, he’s a good secondary scorer. He also likes to hit. Rodrigues is a good player to have.

Vladimir Tarasenko was with the Rangers last year as a rental. He possesses a lethal shot. A bit streaky, Tarasenko is dangerous in transition and on the power play. He can’t be allowed too much room.

Eetu Luostarinen and Nick Cousins are solid depth players. They play hard. Cousins isn’t shy about mixing it up during scrums. Veteran Kyle Okposo has replaced Ryan Lomberg for most of the playoffs. He’s still chasing a Cup. Okposo isn’t the fastest skater. But he makes up for it with smarts.

The Panthers feature a big three on the blue line. They are Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling, and Brandon Montour. Each will see the bulk of the minutes. Ekblad has been cast in more of a defensive role. Montour and Forsling are superb skaters who can do damage offensively. Both must be paid attention to.

Niko Mikkola was on the Rangers’ side last spring. Now, like Tarasenko, he’s on the Panthers’ side. Mostly a no frills defenseman who can log key minutes, Mikkola is counted on by Florida. He can be attacked on the forecheck. So can Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Mainly a power play specialist, Ekman-Larsson has three of his four points on the man advantage.

Sergei Bobrovsky is the best goalie the Rangers will face. A former two-time Vezina winner, he’s rediscovered himself since last year’s run. He can be a bit streaky. But he’s mostly performed well for the Panthers. They defend well in front of him. That’s why he has a .902 save percentage.

Bobrovsky can sometimes be beaten short side. It’ll be interesting to see if the Rangers try to expose it.

Artemi Panarin is front and center for the Rangers. He’s had his best year to date. Panarin’s followed up a career high 49 goals and 120 points with four goals and seven assists for 11 points in the first two rounds. All four goals have been game-winners, including a nifty redirection that won Game 3 against the Hurricanes. He continues to be aggressive, shooting the puck.

Vincent Trocheck has been the perfect running mate. The do everything center sees the most minutes among Rangers forwards. His postseason has been superb. Tied with Mika Zibanejad for the team lead in scoring with 14 points, that’s included some strong work on the power play. His four power-play goals lead the team. Trocheck is a fixture on the penalty kill and the Rangers’ best center on faceoffs.

Zibanejad has raised his level following an inconsistent regular season. Though he only has five of his 14 points at even strength, he’s made more of an effort at five-on-five. When he’s not producing, he’s responsible defensively.

Sidekick Kreider remains a clutch performer in the playoffs. His third period hat trick erased a two-goal deficit in the Rangers’ 5-3 comeback victory to eliminate the Hurricanes in Game 6. With seven goals, he leads the team. Four have come at even strength, two on the power play, and one shorthanded. He makes his living in front on tips and rebounds. Kreider’s always willing to pay the price.

Not to be forgotten is Alexis Lafreniere. He had a good second round with four goals and two helpers. A tenacious worker on the forecheck, Lafreniere wins a lot of board battles and can keep plays moving. His confidence has grown offensively. He’ll be a key if the Rangers are to advance.

Jack Roslovic came to life in the third period comeback last Thursday. Thanks to his hard work, he assisted on the tying and winning goals Kreider scored. His best asset is his speed. When he’s circling the net, Roslovic can make things happen. He isn’t good defensively. The Rangers need that line to do a better job backchecking.

They’re hoping Filip Chytil can unlock the third line. A good skater who had success playing with Kaapo Kakko and Lafreniere in 2022, Chytil is quick in transition and effective at creating scoring chances on the cycle. With him playing the left wing while Alex Wennberg centers the third line that includes Kakko, it’ll be interesting to see what Chytil can bring. He’s expected to play on the second power play unit.

Barclay Goodrow remains a key contributor as a responsible checking forward. He will start with Will Cuylle and Jimmy Vesey on the fourth line. Adding the capable Cuylle, who isn’t shy about finishing checks or driving to the net, should make them an effective line. Goodrow has stepped it up with three goals, including one of the Rangers’ four shorthanded goals. A key penalty killer with Trocheck, Goodrow plays his role well.

The defense is all about the top four. Headlined by Adam Fox, who wasn’t himself last series due to a leg injury sustained in the first round, the Rangers will need a healthier Fox to win this round. He’s too important to what they do. Hopefully, the time off helped. Fox does everything, including run the power play. He must be better at five-on-five.

Fox and Ryan Lindgren are the staple. Lindgren supplies the grit and hustle. He set up Kreider’s series clincher. It was a nice reward for a guy who has tremendous pride. They’ll want to tighten up the gaps at their blue line. They got beat a few times by the Canes.

After playing mostly with Braden Schneider the first two rounds, K’Andre Miller found himself back with Jacob Trouba for Game 6 last week. Up to this point, Miller’s been the Rangers’ most steady defenseman. He’s done a better job in his end by playing with more edge. A strong skater who’s good at moving the puck in transition, Miller will need to be on his game. Especially to help out Trouba, who’s not as mobile.

Trouba makes up for his lack of speed by taking the body and blocking shots. He can be attacked by opponents in the corners. Expect the Panthers to try to expose that. Trouba will have to do a good job at managing pucks. It’ll be a key to the series. He’s a good penalty killer. The Rangers need him to avoid taking penalties.

Schneider and Erik Gustafsson comprise the third pair. Schneider was a bit more consistent in the first round. He had some trouble with the Canes’ forecheck. Considering that Gustafsson is an adventure defensively, Schneider must be the one who makes good reads in his end. Gustafsson is primarily an offensive defenseman who’s used on the second unit.

Shesterkin is the Rangers’ biggest weapon. He turned away the Hurricanes a lot last round. As his .923 save percentage would indicate, he’s been a rock in net. He’ll want to tighten up on rebounds. Something Carolina exploited to get back in the series last round. He’ll have to deal with traffic this round. Tkachuk and Shesterkin will have their battles.

The Rangers need to do a good job taking care of the net front. The Panthers will go there a ton. They will look to get Shesterkin off his game.

Who wins? That depends on which team can dictate the terms. The Panthers have the edge at five-on-five and defensively. The Rangers are better on special teams and in goal. Shesterkin still gets the edge over Bobrovsky.

It could be a back and forth series with momentum shifts. The teams are evenly matched. Not to be obvious. But the stars must play like stars. Maybe it’ll come down to whichever supporting cast is better. The role players will be important. Especially now.

I don’t have any prediction. I think it’ll go seven games.