For 40 minutes, this game was a classic case for this time of year.

That was until the Rangers decided it wouldn’t be.

The Blueshirts — without four regular skaters — rallied from a two-goal deficit behind Alexis Lafreniere’s two goals in the third period before Adam Fox scored in overtime to officially punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in a 6-5 win over the Flyers Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

Sitting in first place in the Metropolitan Division since Oct. 24, the Rangers have been in prime postseason position all season long.

The prospect of clinching a playoff berth on March 26 hardly felt like a big deal.

Philadelphia, on the other hand, has had to fight tooth and nail to keep its playoff hopes alive.

The visitors were fueled by their desperation to secure two points, which was necessary in order for the Flyers to maintain sole possession of the No. 3 spot in the Metro and remain above the playoff cutoff line.