Wendell Cruz-Imagn ImagesOrdinarily a Sunday afternoon at The Garden contested by two absolutely out of it playoff teams would draw a yawn-and-a-half from The Maven.
And – superficially, at least – the Rangers 3-1 victory over the 2025 Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers had that look to it.
But when push comes to high stick, there was more to like than rookie Adam Sykora's vim, vigor, vitality and second goal since being hauled from Hartford.
There was a statement made by veteran defenseman Adam Fox that should resonate beyond the Seventh Avenue hockey palace and throughout Rangerville.
TANKING IS OUT; O-U-T – OUT!
Specifically, Fox's message was aimed at the bloc of fans who want the Rangers to lose so that they better the odds for winning the Lottery Draft.
Without uttering the dirty words "dumping" or "tanking," Fox told those negativists to shove it and punctuated it in the game by illuminating the third (insurance) red light.
"We all go out there to win," said Fox in his postgame media oration. "We're competitors – for our teammates, our fans and our organization."
As for the much-discussed Draft: "We're not focused on that!"
The man could not have been more emphatic and more ethical about the issue.