Chris Kreider was a designated healthy scratch ahead of the Rangers’ 5-0 thrashing by the Devils on Monday afternoon at Prudential Center.

The decision to sit the longest-tenured Ranger comes amid the club’s 4-13 skid and free fall in the standings to sixth in the Metropolitan Division and 22nd in the NHL. 

Kreider, who ranks eighth on the Rangers with 12 points, has scored just once in the last nine games.

His one and only assist so far this season didn’t come until Dec. 6 against the Penguins. 

The last time Kreider notched a point on the power play was Dec. 2 against the Devils. 

Head coach Peter Laviolette has started to make significant lineup changes in the wake of the Rangers’ downward spiral.

After Kaapo Kakko served as a healthy scratch in St. Louis, Laviolette is now sitting a veteran down to try and send a message to both Kreider and the rest of the team. 

Kreider also missed three games at the end of November with back spasms, which surfaced shortly after president and general manager Chris Drury cited the 33-year-old wing as available in a league-wide trade memo.

Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom pitched a 12-save shutout against the Rangers, which counted as his second in a row and his third on the season.

The Rangers’ 12 shots on goal counted as their lowest output this season by significant margin. Their lowest shot total this season was previously 18 against the Senators.

Zac Jones was reinserted into the lineup for the first time in two games, slotting in on the left of Braden Schneider as the Blueshirts’ second defensive pairing.

With Kreider out, Jonny Brodzinski filled in his spot on a line with Will Cuylle and Filip Chytil. It counted as Brodzinski’s 16th appearance of the season and first since Dec. 15.

The Rangers went 0-for-4 on the power play for a second straight game, bringing them to 0-for-16 in the past six games.