Rangers as spoiler all that’s left

Henrik Lundqvist remembers very well the stinging feeling that enveloped him eight years ago when the Rangers played their season finale in Philadelphia, as they will again Saturday afternoon, losing in a shootout in what was a win-and-in, lose-and-go-home affair for both teams. Up until this year, that was the only time Lundqvist missed the playoffs in his NHL career.

The Rangers have long known their fate and were officially eliminated on March 27, but they can hamper the Flyers’ playoff chances Saturday as Philly needs either one point gained or a point dropped by Florida to clinch a postseason berth. That provides some extra juice for Lundqvist, who will start Game 82.

“I obviously remember being in that building with a lot on the line a few years ago, and it did not go the way we wanted,” Lundqvist said Friday after the Rangers’ final practice of the season. “For us who were there, I think going into (Saturday), obviously we want to play a really strong game for ourselves, but also that reason. They got a big win at a crucial time that time, and it hurt. We’re gonna play a desperate and really good team (Saturday), so you need everything.”

Lundqvist and Marc Staal are the only players from that April 11, 2010 game still on the roster, a sign of how much things have changed for the Rangers as they embark on a new phase of alterations, with questions surrounding Alain Vigneault, the remaining veterans not named Lundqvist and the team’s pending restricted free agents.

But the Rangers (34-38-9) have one last game to cap off this trying campaign, a foreign feeling for Lundqvist to know exactly when his season will end.

“It’s a little weird, I must admit. Sitting here, last game, last practice today. It’s been a season of a lot of ups early on, and then obviously the second half, we’ve talked enough about it, and I think people are tired of hearing us talk about it,” said Lundqvist, who was voted by media as Team MVP this season.

“Obviously we came up short and we’re gonna have a lot of time to reflect and analyze this the right way, but let’s focus on (Saturday) and try to have a good game. Then we’ll sit down next week and the weeks after that to really look at things we need to improve.” *** Brady Skjei, one of the impending restricted free agents, will not participate in this year’s IIHF World Championship after representing Team USA each of the previous two years. Pavel Buchnevich said he’d know by Saturday if he’ll play for Russia. … Jesper Fast was voted by his teammates as the Players’ Player award winner for the third straight season. … The Rangers called up Matt Beleskey and Steven Fogarty from AHL Hartford.