Clendening plays — in part as message to Skjei

Adam Clendening got into his sixth game of the year, but he was inserted into the Rangers’ lineup at the expense of Brady Skjei at least partially because coach Alain Vigneault wanted to send a message to the rookie.

“I thought the last little while he’s been kind of struggling,” Vigneault said following Friday’s 7-4 loss to the Wild at the Garden for which Skjei was a healthy scratch for the first time. “When we were looking at the scoring chances [against] and all the other [information], we felt this was the best move.”

But when asked if he had scratched Skjei because he thought Clendening would give the Rangers a better chance to win the game or if it had been a message to the youngster, Vigneault said: “A combination of both.”

Other defensemen — notably Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi and Kevin Klein — were worse in Tuesday’s 7-2 loss to the Penguins in Pittsburgh, but it is believed Vigneault specifically was alarmed by Skjei’s lackadaisical play behind the net on the sequence off which Nick Bonino scored the Penguins’ final goal at 19:49 of the third period.

After acknowledging the scratch indeed partially was a message aimed at the 22-year-old rookie, Vigneault said: “But he’s not the only one after tonight that could get a message.”

Clendening got 18:40 of ice paired primarily with Marc Staal while the McDonagh-Girardi pair remained intact and Nick Holden switched to his natural left side to skate with Klein.

Pavel Buchnevich skated with his teammates while wearing a non-contact jersey during the morning optional as the winger continued his every-other-day program first reported by The Post on Tuesday. Buchnevich, dealing with core and back issues including a protruding disk, has been sidelined for 21 straight games since Nov. 12 and 26 overall on the season.

Barring an unforeseen setback, the rookie seems to be on target for a mid-to-late January return. The Rangers have their bye from Jan. 8-12, but it is believed the club would be permitted to send Buchnevich to AHL Hartford on a conditioning assignment during that stretch of mandated NHL off-days. The Wolf Pack have games on Jan. 8 and Jan. 11.

The Rangers failed on their two power plays, stretching their string of futility to 12 straight over the last six games. … The Wild did not get a third-period shot on net until Charlie Coyle’s empty-netter sealed it at 18:51. That marked their only shot of the period, the Rangers getting 12 on Darcy Kuemper.

Chris Kreider got his second of the game, seventh in the last 11 matches and 11th of the year at 17:00 with Antti Raanta pulled for an extra attacker. Raanta had first vacated the net with 3:53 left and the Rangers on a power play. … The Blueshirts, officially now in the Christmas recess that runs through Monday, will play 13 days over the next 38 days that will encompass this hiatus, the All-Star break and the bye.