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The New York Rangers’ 3-2 win over the hated Philadelphia Flyers in the Winter Classic on Jan. 2 was one of the most emotionally-charged wins of the season. Now after two days off, having said good bye to the intrusive cameras of HBO, they get back on the ice on Thursday night when they take on the Florida Panthers at Madison Square Garden. It’d be understandable if the team experienced a bit of malaise after such a month when every player had their eyes set on the nationally-televised outdoor game against their bitter rivals, and every question from the media expounded that fact.

But if there’s one thing that John Tortorella has instilled in this Rangers team that remains first in the NHL, it’s a sense of discipline and consistency. Torts is constantly telling his players and reporters that the team has to stick to their game and not alter their approach, regardless of the situation. That sort of mentality is exactly what will come in handy in a situation like this, because while the Panthers are one of the best stories in the NHL this season with their surprising hold on first place in the Southeast Division, they simply don’t conjure the same type of emotions in the Rangers as an Atlantic Division rival.

Also adding to the belief that the Rangers won’t take the Panthers lightly is the fact that this is the first time the two teams have squared off since their December 30 meeting in which Tomas Kopecky threw a sucker punch at Rangers defenseman Michael Del Zotto after being on the receiving end of a Del Zotto crosscheck (both players were fined for the incident). Rangers enforcer Michael Rupp ripped Kopecky away from the referees and enacted some on-ice punishment at the end of the altercation (video above), but don’t expect either team to have forgotten about it when they take the ice on Thursday night.