DETROIT — When Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant talked about what he wants to see from his players as they embarked on the final 25 games of the regular season, beginning Thursday night with a matchup against the Red Wings, shades of Mariano Duncan’s mantra for the Yankees’ 1996 World Series win came through.

“We play today, we win today,” the Yankees former starting second baseman said.

That is the way Gallant has operated since he assumed his current role with the Rangers in June 2021. The 59-year-old is in the business of winning hockey games. From what it sounds like around the NHL, that always has been his focus.

It’s not about development. It’s not about whether it’s the right time or not. It’s about the here and now, and stacking wins with the hope of moving closer to the ultimate goal.

That philosophy perhaps made Gallant the perfect fit to satisfy what Rangers owner Jim Dolan wants, which became very clear when he sacked his former front office and coaching staffs of John Davidson, Jeff Gorton and David Quinn.

Spoiler: It’s a Stanley Cup. Not just in a couple years, but now.

Gallant’s outlook is what makes him the guy for the job. He knows it’s a results business, and every day, Gallant attempts to deliver on that. Knowing his win-first mindset, hiring Gallant essentially slammed shut the book on the Rangers’ rebuild.

Asked if he’s the type to look at the club’s recent hiccups as a positive because it means that it can still peak closer to — if not during — the playoffs, Gallant balked at the idea.

“I want to get as many points as we can,” he said after the Rangers held an optional morning skate Thursday. “If you’re playing good, you’re worried about your team getting those points. You always look at the standings and you want to get a little higher. I want us playing the best games every night. It’s a two and a half-hour game, get out there and play your best and work your hardest and get the two points.

“That game in Calgary [last Saturday], we were fortunate to get a point there. We didn’t play well, but we got a point and we found a way to battle back so. I want us to play 25 good hockey games, prepare to play 25 good games and see where we end up.”

Observers would be hard-pressed to find any level of satisfaction from the Rangers regarding their current position in the standings. Sitting in sixth place in the NHL with 75 points before their game Thursday, the Rangers were just four points behind the Devils and trailed the Metropolitan Division-leading Hurricanes by nine.

Gallant’s attitude seems to have trickled down to his players, who are being led by guys still searching for their first Cup, such as Jacob Trouba, Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin.

The Rangers are gearing up for the postseason, on and off the ice, mentally and physically. There will be no settling for what they’ve already accomplished, which includes turning their season around 180 degrees after the first two months. Not while Gallant is in charge.