Rangers winger Kaapo Kakko always likes to keep it simple when talking about his game.

So in discussing how he broke through with his first goals since Jan. 22, the first month of the season, in the Blueshirts’ 5-3 win over the Sabres on Monday night, the 20-year-old pointed out that he was back on the second line next to Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome.

“I was playing with Breadman and Strome, so they can keep the puck, I just go to the net and they can find me,” he said. “That was my job [Monday night].”

Acting head coach Kris Knoblauch said he opted to replace Colin Blackwell with Kakko on the second line at 7:07 of the second for a variety of reasons, but primarily because of how the Finn has been playing recently. It certainly panned out well, as Kakko converted six seconds later to knot the game 1-1 at 7:13.

Panarin jump-started the Rangers’ game-tying play, sending a slick feed to Kakko in front of the Sabres’ net for No. 24 to jam home. It was the first of Panarin’s three-assist performance. Kakko then recorded an empty-net goal in the final minute of play to secure the victory.

Kakko admitted it felt good to get back on the scoresheet after going the last eight games without a point. But after his bout with the coronavirus last month, it took Kakko some time to get back into game shape.

“I wasn’t on the ice for 10 days, so it’s always hard but I think I feel better right now,” he said.

Brett Howden was added to the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list on Monday, joining Phil Di Giuseppe, which resulted in the center’s second scratch of the 2020-21 season and of his Rangers career.

In turn, Knoblauch inserted Julien Gauthier back into the lineup after the forward was scratched for the past three games. Gauthier was a minus-two on the night in 7:04 of ice time.

The Rangers announced that proof of full COVID-19 vaccination — 14 days after receiving the second dose of Pfizer/Moderna or one shot of Johnson & Johnson — will be acceptable for entry to games at Madison Square Garden beginning on April 1.

Fans can still show negative PCR or antigen results upon arrival as well.

The Rangers are hoping for Igor Shesterkin, who suffered a groin strain earlier this month, to make his first start in Philadelphia on Thursday. In the meantime, Keith Kinkaid made his second consecutive start and his fourth in the last six Monday.

Kinkaid stopped 16 of the 19 shots he faced for his first back-to-back wins of the season.

“That’s a group decision, [head coach David Quinn] and [goaltending coach Benoit Allaire] mostly, and then getting my thoughts but ultimately that’s Quinn’s final decision,” Knoblauch said ahead of the win. “I think Keith has played really well, really sharp, I’ve seen him twice in Hartford and he stood on his head. We just felt he deserved it, earned it.”

Shesterkin, who has been unavailable since March 4, skated again Monday morning as he has for the last few days.