For the first time since 2015, the New York Rangers have reached the Eastern Conference Finals. Coincidentally, they are facing the same opponent, albeit with much more experience than before, with two Stanley Cup rings, the Tampa Bay Lightning. After falling behind three games to two against the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round, the Rangers rallied for consecutive victories at home and on the road in Raleigh, handing the Canes their first loss on home ice in the playoffs, proving to be their biggest loss of the season as they were eliminated in Game 7. But now the third round will be the biggest challenge yet for the young Blueshirts as they face the undoubted favorite to win the Cup in the Lightning, who had just come off a sweep against the Presidents' Trophy-winning Florida Panthers.

This young group of Rangers has worked incredibly hard to get to this point and fans of the team should be proud regardless of the outcome of the series. Many hockey fans have claimed that the Rangers have only gotten this far because they have faced backup goaltenders in Louis Domingue of the Penguins and Antti Raanta of the Hurricanes. However, injuries and adversity are part of the playoffs; the best teams push on even when missing one of their best players, just like the Lightning in 2020 when they were without their captain, Steven Stamkos. So, the Rangers should still be given credit for reaching the Conference Finals. While most analysts point to players like Adam Fox, Artemi Panarin or Igor Shesterkin as the biggest reasons for the team's success, one should not overlook the importance of the third line, nicknamed the "kid line," consisting of 22-year-old Filip Chytil, 21-year-old Kaapo Kakko, and 20-year-old Alexis Lafrenière.

As Mike Rupp said on my podcast, "your third line is everything when you evaluate how good your team is," and this statement is most apparent in this series. The play of the three former first rounders has not only been noticeable, but it has been impeccable and impactful, from the opening puck drop of Game 1 of the first round. Although Chytil and Kakko did not have the most stellar regular seasons from a points perspective, they have kicked it into high gear in the playoffs. The trio has combined for 21 points in the playoffs, but the standout player recently has been Chytil.

Chytil, surprisingly the third longest tenured Ranger after Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad, who have been on the team since 2012 and 2016, respectively, has five goals in the past three games, including two in Game 1 against the Lightning and the game winner. The unit displayed intense determination towards the end of the second period of Game 1, as they were part of a more than one minute shift in the offensive zone, leading to the team's fourth goal, from a Chytil one-timer off a superb cross-ice pass from defenseman, K'Andre Miller, another former first rounder.

Back in 2015, the Rangers went up against a similar line on the Lightning, known as The Triplets Line, consisting of Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat. These three players terrorized the Rangers that series, as Kucherov had eight points, Johnson had nine points, and Palat had seven points, helping the Lightning win in seven games and advance to the Finals. The Kid Line doesn't necessarily have to be that productive in this series if the Rangers want to win, but if they continue to play the way they have been, it gives their team a better chance against the back-to-back champions. Regardless, their play bodes well for the future of the Rangers and the players themselves and is hopefully a sign of more good things to come.

• Joey Dimeglio - Ice Cold Takes Pod - Olde City Sports Network

Photo credits

Associated Press

Douglas R. Clifford