The Pacifist Red Wings? Let's Go to the Tape Critics of fighting in the N.H.L. should have their day in the sun at Madison Square Garden tonight, where the Red Wings will face the Rangers in what should be an exciting, fast-paced game played by two highly-skilled teams. There is sure to be a stark difference in play after the Rangers" gritty but fight-marred 4-2 victory over the Devils on Monday. A brawl to start the game? Forget it. Detroit has made a name for itself by winning four Stanley Cups since 1997 while frequently being among the teams with the fewest fighting majors in the league. Their example is extolled by fighting critics. But the critics can have their day; the Rangers and their fans have more important things to worry about this spring. The Rangers haven't beaten Detroit since 2003. One of the Rangers" greatest strengths this season has been their ability to win games while adjusting to any style. They have won games against fast-skating Western Conference teams like Vancouver, Nashville and Phoenix. The Rangers have also shown a penchant for thriving in games where attempted intimidation was a factor, as evidenced by their victory over the Devils on Monday and their combined 8-0 against Philadelphia and Boston, two of the most pugilistic teams in the N.H.L. A reminder: Stanley Cup champions have a long history of being able to adapt themselves to any game situation. The Rangers" coach John Tortorella, who lauded his players on Tuesday (see video above) even as he decried the start of the game vs. the Devils, knows this. But so do the Red Wings. Their recent history is belied not only by Gordie Howe's legend but also by the outcome of one of the N.H.L."s most bitter rivalries from the 1990"s - the Red Wings vs. the Avalanche. Don't think of the Red Wings as a fighting team? Let's take a closer look. In one of the most notorious incidents in N.H.L. playoff history, Colorado's Claude Lemieux face-planted Detroit's Kris Draper into the boards in Game 6 of the 1996 Western Conference finals. Was it intentional? You can decide for yourself by looking at the video. Lemieux was assessed a major penalty on the play, but it didn't make a difference to the Red Wings and their fans. Draper's injury was a devastating blow. He sustained a broken jaw among other injuries, and the Avalanche went on to win the series that night. Lemieux, the villain who had helped defeat the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup final in the previous season as a member of the Devils, won his second consecutive championship in the next round against Florida. The Red Wings and their fans, who hadn't won the Stanley Cup since 1955, had to accept their fate. When the Avalanche visited Detroit for the first time after the Lemieux-Draper incident on March 26, 1997, there were scores that needed to be settled. The Avalanche were the defending Stanley Cup champions and the Red Wings were still looking to end their long drought. After the Red Wings" Darren McCarty challenged Lemieux as part of a huge free-for-all, McCarty went on to score the game-winner in overtime. The Red Wings had evened the score. That night I told Wayne Kamidoi, a Times colleague and Red Wings fan, that Detroit's victory that night and the way they accomplished it was going to bring the Red Wings their long-awaited Cup. They defeated Philadelphia in the finals a couple of months later. Did that brawl help push Detroit over the top that spring? Ask any Red Wings fan. Or maybe Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist's reaction to Monday's brawl reveals something about the value of a fight. Follow George on Twitter @fifthdownnyc