NHL

Rangers’ rookie goalie Johnson makes NHL debut

Chad Johnson wanted to make his NHL debut in the worst way. Last night, that’s exactly what the 23-year-old freshman goaltender did.

Johnson, who has served as the Rangers’ backup since Steve Valiquette was waived to Hartford on Dec. 2, got his first taste of NHL play relieving Henrik Lundqvist after 20 minutes at the Garden with his uninterested team trailing the Flyers 3-0 on their way to a 6-0 loss to the Flyers.

“It’s obviously not the situation that’s ideal or anyone wants to be in, but I think I can take something from the experience,” said Johnson, who yielded a breakaway goal to Simon Gagne following a Brandon Dubinsky giveaway after just 23 seconds on the first NHL shot he faced. “I got 40 minutes, and if I do get a start down the road, then I’ll have experience in a game situation.”

Johnson surrendered one more goal in a second period during which the Blueshirts were outshot 18-5 before allowing a hat trick goal to Gagne on an odd-man rush in the third. The rookie out of Alaska-Fairbanks who was acquired in a draft day deal from Pittsburgh, finished with 17 saves on 20 shots.

“I thought he settled in and made some good saves,” said coach John Tortorella, who earlier in the day pledged that Johnson would get a start in January. “I thought he handled himself well coming into this storm, or whatever you want to call it.

“To me, the kid hung in there. I hated to put him in that spot, but I was hoping the team would play for him a little bit.”

Lundqvist allowed three goals on 11 shots in what was his 13th straight start and 34th in 39 games overall. It’s likely Johnson will get his first NHL start either at home against Dallas next Wednesday or the following night in Atlanta.

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Christopher Higgins was blanked for the ninth straight game. Higgins, who suffered through earlier droughts of 10 and 14 games, had four shots on net. The winger has four goals on 102 shots this season for a shooting percentage of 3.92, the lowest in the NHL among forwards with at least 75 shots.

Sean Avery is scoreless in 16 games after previously suffering through a 15-game drought. Avery has scored in just two games this year, getting a pair in each.

Brandon Dubinsky, who called his play, “atrocious,” was a minus-four while Avery, Marian Gaborik and Michael Del Zotto were each minus-three. Del Zotto is now minus-17, tied with Ales Kotalik for club-worst in that category.

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The Rangers have scored two goals or fewer in 20 of their last 27, blanked once, getting one, 10 times and getting two, nine times. .¤.¤. The Blueshirts were 0-for-4 on the power play and are 1-for-14 with man advantage in last five games. Penalty-killers allowed one five-on-three goal, while shorthanded twice on the night.

The Blueshirts, 18-17-4 overall, are 2-8-2 in their last 12 at the Garden. They’re in Carolina tonight before meeting the Hurricanes back home Saturday afternoon.