The Rangers’ 3-2 shootout win over the Flyers on Thursday night was no “Picasso,” as head coach David Quinn put it, but it ended a four-game losing skid and served as an opportunity for the team to implement parts of their offensive game they knew were missing.

For several days leading up to the team’s first win since Feb. 4, a span in which the Rangers were outscored 11-4, Quinn had said his players simply weren’t competing around the net enough.

Their offense was suffering from a lack of aggression on second and third scoring chances, hesitancy to chase rebounds and failure to battle in front of the crease. Quinn pointed out how players were skating through the net, rather than stopping in front of it and fighting for the space to be there and clean up any loose pucks.

But the Rangers broke through with a strong net-front presence Thursday, culminating in the third-period, go-ahead goal from Brendan Smith. He buried a back-handed pass from Artemi Panarin after lingering on the other side of the Flyers’ net.

Quinn was asked Friday afternoon, ahead of the Rangers’ matinee Saturday against the Capitals, if he believes it has been an adjustment for the players to focus on their net-front presence because of how they are used to relying on the usually consistent contributions from their veterans.

“I think that might be somewhat true,” he said. “Listen, this game will always be about how often and how aggressive you get to the net front. People are always scratching their heads, wondering why teams aren’t scoring or things of that nature and people don’t like simple answers. Getting to the net is a huge factor in generating offense in this league, not only getting there but getting there with an attitude and a purpose.

“Too often, at least from our end of it, we find that our guys are going in there looking to get open, as opposed to getting there to maybe create space for other people. But once you get there, fight for your space and fight for the opportunity to get open.”

For an offense that has struggled in the last handful of games with their veterans in the midst of a significant cold streak, the Rangers have taken time to figure out an alternate way of generating goals.

Considering the Rangers’ best shot creators — Panarin (who returned to the lineup Thursday after missing two games with a lower-body injury) and Mika Zibanejad — both have been less effective this year, it has forced the team to rely on players who weren’t expected to carry their offense.

The Rangers’ bottom-six have assumed the responsibility of goal scoring the last four games, with two goals from Colin Blackwell, one from Kevin Rooney and another from Pavel Buchnevich, when he was demoted to the third line in the 5-2 loss to the Devils.

Quinn is hoping that Smith set a new precedent with his competitiveness in front of the Flyers’ net Thursday. And until the Rangers’ usual offensive weapons get back on track, it’ll be up to the rest of the team to find new ways to put the puck in the back of the net.

“We talked about getting pucks to the net, and a lot of times when you put it to the net, good things happen,” Smith said after the win Thursday. “[Ryan Strome] put it to the net, and obviously it went for a rebound to Breadman, and that guy makes plays. He’s an elite player and there’s a reason why he’s on top of the league in points all the time.

“But I think we have to do a little bit more of stopping in front of net. That’s what we kind of preached and coach was preaching before the game. It worked out for me.”