As the Rangers closed their lockers, they opened their mouths telling us how they'll win the Stanley Cup NEXT Year. How nice of them. So nice, in fact, that The Maven has hauled out his impeccable "Thought Recording Machine" (TRM) to find out what the lads REALLY were thinking. Turn on that dial, folks, here we come: CHRIS KREIDER: What he said: "There are some things we can take and learn from and come back to be there (with the 2025 Stanley Cup!)" WHAT HE REALLY MEANS: "We can't win with a wimpy team that gets kicked around like 98-pound weaklings. We need the kind of tough forwards who'll take no crap from the likes of those Panthers. And let's have no postseason injury alibis. If guys were so hurt, they should have stepped aside for some young ones." Stan Fischler US Hall Of Fame MSG ARTEMI PANARIN: "Those Panthers were a pretty fast and heavy team and close to you every time; maybe one foot from you. We couldn't get many odd-man rushes." WHAT HE REALLY MEANS: "They 'seem' fast because I slowed down in the third round. Then, again maybe I was slow in the second round as well; but at least we beat Carolina. You media guys can't blame me for that. Besides, whaddya want from a 31-year-old anyway? Shhhh, but I may be getting too old for this third round torture." ADAM FOX: "The culture we built and the foundation we have is strong. The confidence we built and the confidence we gained should help us win the Cup next year." WHAT HE REALLY MEANS: "A guy can't go wrong throwing that word 'culture' around because – between you and me – I don't think it means a darn thing. As for 'next year,' that's the joke of all jokes and everybody pulls it after getting knocked out of the playoffs. What we're really selling is hope and that's all we're giving our fans in lieu of the Stanley Cup." IGOR SHESTERKIN: "I don't speak English!" WHAT HE REALLY MEANS: "We could have been out in the first round if the Capitals had a goalie and Ovechkin brought his focus back from Moscow. Same thing in the second round. I saved our bunch against the Canes 'cause I was 'way better than Andersen and Kreider bailed us out when it looked like we'd be early chokers. That 'I don't speak English' stuff of mine is a good line when I'm in trouble with all the reporters. But the guy who's really gonna be flashing an S.O.S. is Jimmy Dolan when he hears he's gonna have to pay me more than McDavid and Draisaitl!"
