Okay, Rangers fans, put down your coffees and dream a little dream with The Maven.
The Lightning meet your Blueshirts at The Garden tonight and the home club still is mathematically eligible to gain a Wild Card berth although most unlikely to happen.
More importantly, THEY OWE YOU, THEIR FANS, SOMETHING.
Yeah. After forcing you to endure one of the most horrific seasons in the franchise's 99-year history, they owe you; and it's not a refund on your ducat although that would be a novel idea.
What they owe you – among other things – actually is a novelty for them; for the Blueshirts actually to play a 60-minute game.
Not the kind of tripe they passed off as "hockey" while losing 4-0 to the Devils in Jersey on Saturday.
And not the brand of minor league games with which they stunk out the joints during their frightening slump from mid-November through the new year.
They owe you a nicely-packaged victory tonight over a classy team; just like what the Islanders did to the Capitals last night in Elmont.
If not – and the Rangers lose at MSG – we can open a sewer on West 33rd Street and drop down the manhole a package marked: FRAGILE: WILD CARD BERTH INSIDE, RETURN TO THE NHL!
Like yourself, I was hoping against hope that somehow – after they disposed of Humpty San Jose and Minny – that they could forge a winning streak, but it wasn't in the cards.
Even a Devils team minus its best forward, Jack Hughes and best D-man Dougie Hamilton whacked the New Yorkers like a cheap "pinata."
So, this really is the Blueshirts' last chance to show the kind of class displayed back in October when the club boasted a 12-4-1 sprint from the gate.
The Maven is such a dreamer, that – at that happy time – I had visions of a Stanley Cup parade up Broadway, followed by a champagne and steak dinner.
If you lose tonight, that'll be another familiar story. In that case I'll satisfy myself with a turkey sandwich in tribute to you guys – The Turkeys of Seventh Avenue!
So, do your fans a great, big favor and play a superduper really winning game tonight. You owe 'em one!
