Rangers vs Lightning

The New York Rangers are in the Eastern Conference Final for the third time in the past four seasons and have a chance to become the first team since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2008 and 2009 to win the Prince of Wales Trophy two years in a row.

The Rangers earned this appearance with a 2-1 overtime win Wednesday in Game 7 of the second round against the Washington Capitals.

New York became the first team in NHL history to win a best-of-7 series after trailing 3-1 in back-to-back seasons. The Rangers defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round last season by winning the final three games.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are in the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 2011, when they lost in seven games to the Boston Bruins. The Lightning haven't reached the Stanley Cup Final since 2004, when they won the championship with forward Martin St. Louis as their leading scorer and Dan Boyle as their top defenseman.

BRANDON, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ryan Callahan participated in an optional practice Thursday and will be a game-time decision for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Saturday (1 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, TVA Sports).

Callahan missed Game 6 of the second-round series against the Montreal Canadiens after having an emergency appendectomy Monday. He was released from the hospital Tuesday and said he watched the game from his home.

"It was tough to watch," Callahan said. "But the guys made it easy on me. There were a couple of times I jumped around a little, but I thought they played their best game of the playoffs."

NEW YORK -- Familiarity won't be an issue for the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final, even though they haven't played the Tampa Bay Lightning since Dec. 1.

Former Rangers Ryan Callahan, Brian Boyle and Anton Stralman are now the opponent, and New York right wing Martin St. Louis played into his 13th season with the Lightning before getting traded to New York in March 2014.

Beyond the personnel, watching the Lightning play in the second round against the Montreal Canadiens was, for the Rangers, like seeing a mirror image.

"Speed versus speed," is how left wing Carl Hagelin described what to expect in the Eastern Conference Final, with Game 1 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday (1 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, TVA Sports). "Two fast teams."

Last season, forward Brian Boyle and defenseman Anton Stralman helped the New York Rangers advance to the Stanley Cup Final.

Now with the Tampa Bay Lightning, they will try to stop the Rangers from getting back there.

New York advanced to the Eastern Conference Final with a 2-1 overtime win against the Washington Capitals in Game 7 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.

Tampa Bay advanced with a 4-1 victory in Game 6 against the Montreal Canadiens at Amalie Arena on Tuesday.