Let's get something straight right here and now: THE SERIES IS NOT OVER!

Is that clear enough for the bloc of naysayers who believe that it's a sin to be behind, three games to two in a best of seven series.

I mean, gimme a break.

All the Blueshirts have to do is 1. Revamp their powerless power play; 2. Get an overdue shutout from Igor (I Know I Can Do It) Shesterkin. 3. Buy Breadman Panarin a Bialy with cream cheese and a stick with radar; 4. Re-sign Lady Luck.

Since Lord Stanley donated what then was a tiny mug, teams have rallied from 2-3 game deficits. That explains why the Dean Of Dictionaries, Noah Webster, invented the word "comeback."

The Maven did his homework and I discovered that there's no law preventing the Rangers from winning one more game at Amerant Bank Arena. But going 0-3 on the power play sure doesn't help

"We have a lot of confidence," says Adam Fox. "We're a pretty resilient group. We've responded well all year to situations where we want to get a win. But right now, being 'close' isn't cutting it."

Coach Laviolette insisted that his team had plenty of looks but not enough goals to go with them.

Fox: "We've had looks but you don't win games based on looks. We've got to capitalize!"

They've got one more chance to do it. Who knows? Maybe two more!