Benched Smith returns to lineup with something to prove

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Brendan Smith was willing to admit that it was a surprise that he was a healthy scratch just three games into the season. But as the Rangers’ veteran defenseman prepared to return to the lineup for Friday’s match against the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena, he was trying to put his benching in the past.

“I just want to help the team win and it’s frustrating when you’re not in the lineup,” Smith said after Thursday’s practice in Westchester, his team now 1-3-0 after he sat for the previous two games. “So it looks like I might be back in and I just have to prove myself.”

Coach Alain Vigneault is set to go back to pairing Smith and Brady Skjei, a duo that was good down the stretch last season after Smith came over in a trade just before the deadline. But, just like the rest of the team, they struggled in the first period of Saturday’s wild 8-5 loss to the Maple Leafs in To- ronto, and Smith was essentially benched for the rest of that game and then scratched for the next two.

Asked if his benching was warranted, Smith smiled and struggled to answer diplomatically.

“Warranted? I don’t even know how to answer that,” Smith said. “Know what I think? I think I should have played better in the first pe- riod. Should is a tough word. I think I could have played better and I think the team would have liked to play better because it would have put us in a better position. I think everything you do, there’s pros and cons, there’s consequences to everything. A lot of times you can get knocked off the horse, you just have to get back on.”

Smith, 28, signed a fouryear, $17.4 million contract with the Rangers this summer just before he could have reached free agency. The annual $4.35 million salary-cap hit is the fourth-highest among the defensemen.

➤ Vigneault also juggled his lines around, but that didn’t include putting J.T. Miller back in the middle — which was the plan during training camp. Instead, he put Miller on the right side with Jimmy Vesey and David Desharnais.

“I think J.T. is more effective on the wing,” Vigneault said. “I know he likes the wing better, he can get in there more on the forecheck, he can protect the puck, he can go to the front of the net a little bit more.”

➤ Henrik Lundqvist is expected to make his fifth straight start in goal, meaning that barring anything drastic happening, backup Ondrej Pavelec should get his first start as a Ranger (not his first game action) on Saturday at home against the Devils.

➤ Vigneault admitted he maybe shouldn’t have played Adam Cracknell in Tuesday’s 3-1 loss to the Blues, just one day after the Rangers claimed him off waivers.