COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Rangers canceled Sunday’s scheduled practice soon after the end of Saturday’s 4-3 defeat to the Sabres at the Garden prevented a playoff clinching, but that didn’t stop Henrik Lundqvist — pulled after allowing three goals on nine shots in just 20:46 — from getting in the work he felt was required.
“I went to the rink [Sunday] and took care of what I felt I needed to do,” Lundqvist told The Post before backstopping the Blueshirts’ 4-2 check-mark victory over the Blue Jackets on Monday. “There were guys there who went on and who took shots at me. I had a good workout. I thought I needed it.
“If you feel like you need more work, you can always get it.”
Lundqvist — who had gone a plebeian 2-4-3/.899/3.59 in his previous 10 starts beginning March 3 — was sharp and steady against Columbus. He tracked the puck well and was stingy with his rebounds, keeping them manageable so he could cover the puck as the Jackets crashed the net.
“If there was pressure [after losing two straight potential clinchers], you have to turn it around and make it a positive; you look at it as an opportunity,” he said. “You always try and twist it to focus on the positive that comes with a win, not worrying about what happens if you lose.”
Lundqvist said he twisted it personally as well following the fourth quickest hook of his career, and the quickest since midway through the 2008-09 season, when he was yanked after allowing three goals in the first period to the Flyers on Dec. 30, 2008.
“I always look at the positive,” he said. “It’s important to have a good feeling going into the game. You get a good start and you build off it.”
The Blueshirts are three points behind the Penguins for second place in the Metro and corresponding first-round home ice, with each team having three games to play. But the Rangers are only two points ahead of the Islanders, whom they meet at the Garden on Thursday, and with Brooklyn holding a game in hand.
As it stands, the fourth-place/first wild-card Islanders would get the Panthers in a cross-over first round and would remain in the Atlantic Division for the second round if they could advance.
Hence, the first wild-card spot would seem advantageous as opposed to the Metro Pittsburgh-Washington meat-grinder that looms.
But Alain Vigneault — who said he probably would rest Dan Boyle in one of the remaining three games — made it clear he has his sets sight on finishing second.
“We finally got our check mark,” said the coach. “People don’t realize how hard it is to get the opportunity to play for the Stanley Cup.
“We still have the opportunity for home ice, so we’ll try to do everything we can to play our best hockey.”
Chris Kreider is just one off last year’s personal-best 21 goals, having gotten four goals in his last five games, including one Monday.
