MONTREAL — So, the Rangers are giving Cam Talbot the opportunity on Saturday night to end his club’s hideous losing streak here against the Canadiens, which had reached seven straight in regulation and eight straight overall, dating back to March 17, 2009.
Which means, for the third straight time and fifth time in the Blueshirts’ past six visits, Henrik Lundqvist was the back-up, just as he had previously been while Martin Biron went 0-4 here as a starter.
“I think that some of the games here haven’t been my best, but it would be unfair to blame all those losses on me,” Lundqvist, choosing his words carefully, told The Post following the morning skate when asked if sitting this one out represented a blow to his pride. “It would make it very easy for some people to put it on me.”
The Rangers have been overwhelmed through the regulation losing streak, outscored by an aggregate of 25-3. They have been shut out here four straight times by Carey Price, who was scheduled to get the assignment Saturday night, and blanked one other time in that seven-game span by Jaroslav Halak.
So Lundqvist’s point is taken, even if the King has been positively plebian in his past seven starts in Montreal, during which he has recorded a 4.53 goals-against average and a .873 save percentage while winning one, losing four in regulation, losing one in overtime and one in a shootout.
Ah, the one in the shootout.
“That one, where we were leading 5-0, that’s where it began, didn’t it?” Lundqvist said after noting he had played well in Montreal at the start of his career.
The game in which the Rangers led 5-0 until the 8:28 mark of the second period before losing 6-5 in a shootout was played on Feb. 19, 2008. Until that one, Lundqvist had posted a 2.89 goals-against average and .901 save percentage in going 3-1 with one no-decision in his first five starts in Montreal.
“I know I’ve had some good games here, but I also haven’t played well enough consistently enough,” Lundqvist said. “You have to be careful though when you’re analyzing a goalie just based on his won-lost record.
“I’ve said that before. There’s an upside and a downside to that. It is a team sport.”
The shootout loss is the one emblazoned in the consciousness of every Blueshirt who participated in the match, even if the Rangers and Lundqvist won a 4-3 overtime game in Montreal the following March 17.
The string of ghastly defeats didn’t start until the following season, with Biron having started four of the last five and suffering shutout losses every time.
“As a team we haven’t gotten it done, whether I’ve played or been on the bench,” Lundqvist said. “But that is going to turn around, and I’m confident that we have a really good chance to win this one if we play the way we have been the last couple of weeks.”
New coach Alain Vigneault has a clean slate with the Rangers in Montreal. He is, however, aware of the history.
“I’ve been told the Rangers have struggled here a little bit,” said Vigneault, who began his NHL head coaching career behind the Canadiens’ bench from 1997-98 into the 2000-01 season. “That would be an understatement.”
The 26-year-old Talbot has allowed two goals in each of his four starts since joining the Blueshirts on Oct. 15. He is the first Rangers goaltender to start his NHL career by surrendering two goals or fewer in his first four starts since Marcel Paille in 1957-58.
“[As far as the goaltending decision] I would say it’s a back-to-back situation and Cam Talbot has played real well,” said Vigneault, whose club faces the Kings at the Garden on Sunday night. “We haven’t won here in quite a few years, so it’s time to give Talbot a chance.”
Vigneault split the goaltending assignments the previous time the Rangers had a back-to-back situation, going with Lundqvist at home against the Penguins on Nov. 6 before turning to Talbot in Columbus the next night. The Blueshirts swept the pair.
“I think the back-to-back is more of the reason I’m not playing in this one,” Lundqvist said. “I will start here again and I will start winning here again.
“I’m not concerned about that.”