This is no joke; the Rangers are HOT!

Well, at least until tonight at The Garden when, for a change, they'll meet a real team, the Washington Capitals. 

But we're getting ahead of ourselves, aren't we? (Yes, we are.)

And speaking of "getting ahead," the Blueshirts got ahead of the Penguins in Pittsburgh last night and – ahead and ahead and ahead until it wound up 6-1 for New York. (Sidney Crosby and Geno Malkin should have gone to the movies.)

Coach Mike Sullivan's return to his former happy, hunting ground provided some happy hunting. Actually the Penguins would have been better served had they forfeited after Matt (The Marvelous) Rempe scored the fifth goal.

After all, if Mika Zibanejad scored shorthanded in the first period and The Remper scored number five in the third; what's the use of playing anymore? (Note to Very Serious Readers: I'm kidding.)

What I'm not kidding about is this: Should the Rangers win over the Caps tonight it could be

the start of something big. 

There is too much hemming and hawing about the Rangers finesse and flaws among the Maven's Roundtable seers. Sorry, guys, I want something more definitive.

Feeding Off A Wounded Buffalo Gets The Blueshirts a Win On to the Cup! No, silly, not Stanley; I mean the styrofoam cup at Dunkin' Donuts. 

For that, I called in my private Rangers consultant – former rugby star – Lloyd McKay of Manhattan. His simple – but solid – scouting report that follows should be taken very seriously.

Go, Lloyd, Go!

"I see as much potential in this Rangers team as I have ever seen," says McKay who goes back a long, long way. "Chris Drury has done a remarkable job of rebuilding the Blueshirts into a much bigger, stronger-on-the-puck team. I don't see any weaknesses."

What's more, I believe Lloyd. CONCLUSION: STANLEY CUP – OR BUST!