For the sixth time in six shootouts, the Rangers called on Brad Richards out of the two-hole.
For the sixth time in six shootouts, Richards, who came to New York this season with an estimable 25-for-60 mark (41.67 percent) in the skills competition, failed.
“It’s definitely in my head a little bit,” Richards told The Post after the Rangers’ 4-3 loss to the Devils in which Ilya Kovalchuk was the only player to score in the shootout. “You don’t just go in with the same approach when you’re 0-for-whatever.
“It hurts not to come through.”
The Rangers were down 1-0 in the bottom of the second when Richards came in with speed against Martin Brodeur. But the goaltender used his left pad to deny Richards’ wrist shot.
“I’ve been pretty effective before this, so I don’t really know what the problem has been,” Richards said. “It’s not my decision whether I continue to go or not, that’s up to Torts [coach John Tortorella], but I’m certainly not going to ask out or say no.
“I’ve just got to figure it out.”
Derek Stepan, who shot wide in the bottom of the first after Kovalchuk beat Martin Biron to lead off the competition, and Marian Gaborik also failed for the Rangers, who fell to 2-4 in the shootout after going 9-3 last season.
Rangers’ shooters have gone a combined 4-for-22, and Biron. in his first shootout of the season. and Henrik Lundqvist have allowed six goals on 20 attempts.
Last season, Rangers shooters went 14-for-49 while the goaltenders allowed nine goals on 53 attempts.
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Tortorella said the Rangers will discuss the status of chronic healthy scratches Erik Christensen and Wojtek Wolski within the next couple of days. . . . Loser’s point allowed Rangers to remain atop the East, one point ahead of the Bruins, and three points ahead of the Flyers with a game in hand on Philadelphia for the division lead.
Kovalchuk’s power-play goal at 15:25 of the third ended Rangers’ streak of 16 straight kills. Artem Anisimov, who has one point (0-1) in his last 17 games took the penalty at 14:23 leading to the successful power play. Anisimov did get one brief shift in overtime.
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The Rangers went 0-for-3 with the man advantage and are 1-for-24 in their last 10 games, 2-for-37 in the last 15 and 4-for-55 in the last 21 matches. The Rangers have failed on their last 26, 5-on-4 advantages covering a stretch of 45:23.
larry.brooks@nypost.com