NEW YORK — The previous time they met in the postseason, the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins were headed in different directions.

They still are.

When the puck drops tonight at Madison Square Garden for the opener of their seven-game Eastern Conference playoff series, the Rangers will have been on a tear that began when they made the Stanley Cup finals in 2014.

This season, the Rangers set club records for points (113) and wins (53), had a plus-60 goal differential, and earned the Presidents’ Trophy with the NHL’s best record.