“Victory” will have to wait.
With “Entourage” star Kevin Dillon and director/creator Doug Ellin in attendance at the Garden on Sunday night, the Rangers gave “Johnny Drama” no opportunity to unleash his popular catchphrase, losing 2-0 to the Lightning in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final.
Dillon and Ellin went to the game in support of the Rangers, who watched the upcoming “Entourage” movie while unwinding on the night between Game 3 and 4 in Florida, with the Rangers trailing 2-1 in the series. The next night, the Rangers won.
The TV show turned feature film’s new connection to the team was apparent early Sunday night, as the Rangers took the ice to the show’s theme song — Jane’s Addiction “Superhero.”
Then, early in the first period during a break in action, a clip from the show was played on the scoreboard before switching to a live shot of Dillon and Ellin in their seats, with the former sporting a Rick Nash jersey, receiving the loudest ovation of any celebrity featured on screen all evening.
“It’s very cool, it’s very surreal,” longtime Rangers fan Dillon told The Post before the game, discussing the team’s connection with the cast. “It’s been great. Last year was a great run and we’ve got a great run going now. Hopefully, we can keep it going because this has been amazing.”
Nash had set up the screening for the team, having been introduced a few months ago to Ellin, who shared a mutual childhood friend with Nash’s wife, Jessica. Though a diehard Islanders fan, who grew up in Merrick, L.I., Ellin promised he would send them a copy of the movie when it was finished, having also gone to dinner with Nash and Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh.
Previously at the Garden to see the Islanders play the Rangers, Ellin said he had taken some taunts from Islanders fan for his support of the team’s biggest rival, but the director said it became much easier to do after meeting Nash and McDonagh, excited that the popular HBO show could become a part of such a memorable run.
“I used to wear my [Denis] Potvin jersey here and get things thrown at me, but I’m making peace,” Ellin said with a smile. “The Rangers are great people and I’m definitely rooting hard for them. I really want to see them do well.
“[“Entourage”] is about your boys and friendship, so hopefully it helped. It seemed like they liked it.”