MONTREAL — Less than three minutes remained in the second period in Game 3 in Philadelphia, and the Rangers, with a 2-0 lead on the Flyers, appeared on the verge of seizing control of the game and possibly the series.
That’s when forward Benoit Pouliot took a holding penalty in the offensive zone while the Rangers were swarming the Flyers. As Pouliot took his seat in the penalty box, violent cursing and slamming of desktops and chairs were audible above the roar in the Wells Fargo Center as assistant general manager Jim Schoenfeld and other Rangers suits expressed their displeasure Pouliot would allow the Flyers a chance to get back into the game.
Twenty-one seconds later, when Flyers defenseman Mark Streit scored a power-play goal to cut the deficit to 2-1, the rage coming from the Rangers brass in that private suite high above the ice increased in decibel level.
It was a flashback moment of sorts for Pouliot, who earlier in the season had been made a healthy scratch by coach Alain Vigneault for making too many of those very kinds of plays.
Fortunately for the Rangers, who went on to win that game and, eventually, the series, it was merely a momentary lapse of reason by Pouliot, who happens to be one of the most important — and most curious — players on their roster as they begin the Eastern Conference finals against the Canadiens at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Pouliot laughed over the telephone during a conversation with The Post on Friday when the Philadelphia incident was brought up. He was on the team bus en route to the airport for the flight to Montreal.
“Oh, I heard about it from the coaches the next day,’’ Pouliot said. “You don’t want to do that to your team — especially when we had the momentum of the whole period — and then I go and do something stupid like that. I got beat by one step on that one. I try not to get too frustrated out there, but sometimes I want to do too much and I get caught up in that stuff.’’
The first part of the season — Pouliot’s first with the Rangers, his fourth team in four years and fifth of his young career — was nothing but frustration for him. In his first 29 games, Pouliot produced just two goals and three assists.
That prompted Vigneault to rip Pouliot to reporters.
“You only get so many kicks at the can here; you only get so many teams,’’ Vignealt said, referring to Pouliot having already played for Minnesota, who drafted him fourth overall in 2005, Montreal, Boston, and Tampa Bay — all by age 27.
In a possible career-turning move before Christmas, Pouliot’s world took a turn for the better when he was placed on a line with Mats Zuccarello and Derick Brassard. Their line has become the Rangers’ most productive, with the three players producing a combined 52 goals and 140 points in the regular season.
In the playoffs, the trio has produced 10 goals and 23 points in 14 games, with Pouliot having three goals and five assists.
Is it possible that Pouliot, who signed a one-year, $1.3 million deal before this season, has finally found a home?
“The beginning was tough, but after that I’ve gotten into a groove that hopefully it can keep going and … hopefully that keeps me here,’’ Pouliot said.
Every athlete’s path is different. Perhaps, for Pouliot, the pressure of being drafted so high was difficult to handle. Perhaps the teams he played for looked at his draft status and his 6-foot-3 frame and had unrealistic expectations.
“Sometimes a coach-player relationship takes time, to understand how best to approach a player and handle a player,’’ Vigneault said. “It took me a little time to figure [Pouliot] out.’’
Vigneault then paused and joked, “I’m not 100 percent sure I’ve got it figured out, but … ’’
“This was my fourth team in four years and it’s a matter of trying to do something while I’m here given the chance,’’ Pouliot said. “[Vigneault] has given me so many chances — keeping me on the power play, playing on the line with Brass and Zuccs … he kind of leaves me alone and I think [we] have had some success because of that.’’
Brassard said Pouliot is “a really important player for our line and for our team,’’ adding, “and he’s found himself a new home here in New York, hopefully.’’
Brad Richards said Pouliot “has kind of modeled how our whole team went this year — trying to figure out the coach, New York, had some struggles up and down and found his game.
“He’s always had talent and really found a home here on that line with his game,’’ Richards added. “When you go fourth overall, you’ve got talent and you’ve got some kind of ability to play the game. Sometimes it’s just the right fit, the right coach. I think he really feels like he’s found a place here.’’