Line change pays off for Vigneault

In search of a spark for his last-place team, Rangers coach Alain Vigneault shook up the lines ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Golden Knights.

Some players reverted to lines they were part of earlier in the season, but the changes affected nearly everybody — only the top defensive pairing of Ryan McDonagh and Brandon Smith was untouched. The early returns were promising. The new top line of Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich tallied three goals and three assists to spark a 6-4 win over the Golden Knights at the Garden.

“They were a force out there using their speed and skill, and it has to continue,” Vigneault said.

The same group played on a line in the first six games of the season and recorded just one point at even strength. Tuesday they recorded six points — all coming in the decisive third period — with each scoring a goal and playing an integral part in the win.

“Hopefully it’s a step in the right direction here,” Zibanejad said. “With the adversity we’ve been going through here, the tough games and what not, we responded great in the third.”

Mats Zuccarello, who scored with new linemates Kevin Hayes and Rick Nash delivering the assists, said the comeback went beyond just strategy. The Rangers’ early-season struggles built up plenty of feelings.

“It’s anger, it’s frustration, it’s everything. It’s almost like you don’t know what to do but cry,” Zuccarello said. “That’s sports. You go through good times and bad times and it’s important that you stick together in the bad times and stay positive.”

➤ Oscar Lindberg made himself right back at home Tuesday, just wearing a different sweater.

The center, who the Golden Knights nabbed from the Rangers in June’s expansion draft, scored his fifth goal of the year in the first period, at the time tying the game at one.

Lindberg played two seasons (plus a onegame stint in 2014-15) with the Rangers before heading to Vegas, scoring 21 goals and 27 assists over 134 games.

➤ The two goalies dressed for the Golden Knights on Tuesday came into the game with a combined 25 minutes and 10 seconds of NHL experience between them. Maxime

Lagace made 32 saves in his first NHL start while his backup was Dylan Ferguson, a 19year old who was recalled on an emergency basis from the Kamloops Blazers of the junior Western Hockey League.

➤ With the win over the first-year Golden Knights, the Rangers improved to 24-5-1 in their first all-time game against the other 30 teams in the NHL.