NHL

Rangers rookie Erixon gets D-moted

Tim Erixon played effectively and with poise through the Rangers’ season-opening seven-game road trip that commenced in Stockholm, not far from his hometown in Sweden, but the 20-year-old rookie defenseman struggled badly in both Thursday night’s home-opening defeat to the Maple Leafs and yesterday afternoon’s 5-4 shootout defeat to the Senators.

The back-to-back subpar games prompted management to demote Erixon — who played just 7:43 yesterday, including just one 52-second shift in the third and none in overtime — to the AHL Whale following the match.

It’s not known whether the Rangers, who continue their six-game homestand tomorrow night against the Sharks, will add a defenseman to the roster before the match or whether Jeff Woywitka, a healthy scratch the last two games, will rejoin the lineup.

The Rangers last night were waiting to learn whether free-agent defenseman Anton Stralman would accept the team’s contract offer. Stralman, who did not receive a contract offer from the Devils after going through training camp with the club, has been in Sweden the last two weeks, so he would not be immediately available even if he signs.

The Rangers also assigned Kris Newbury — who played 4:20 after getting 3:07 on Thursday — to Connecticut following the match. With Mike Rupp sidelined from the last two games with a knee issue, the Rangers almost certainly will recall a forward before today’s practice. The Whale played in Worcester last night.

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The Rangers disputed the “illegal check to the head” for which Wojtek Wolski received a minor penalty at 12:09 of the third that sent the Senators on the power play on which they scored 40 seconds later to cut the Rangers’ lead to 4-3, but even if Wolski did not nail Daniel Alfredsson in the head, he certainly was guilty of interference. Alfredsson did not return to the match after the blow that appeared to land on the shoulder.

The Rangers, however, benefitted from a dreadful call 4:05 into the second period on which Zenon Konopka was given a major and game misconduct for boarding Artem Anisimov on a play that may not even have merited a minor. Konopka caught Anisimov in the chest from the side before the blow spun the Rangers’ center’s head up against the glass before he crumpled and remained prone on the ice for a couple of minutes.

Trailing 1-0, the Rangers’ power play took advantage of the major, with Ryan Callahan and Brad Richards scoring 1:20 apart for a 2-1 lead the club would build to 4-1 in the third before faltering. After Richards scored from in front, he skated to the left corner before leaping into the glass in celebration shoulder-first.

Anisimov, who was on the fourth line, took a regular turn thereafter in the second while playing only two shifts in the third. Coach John Tortorella said the ice time in the third was limited because of personnel decisions, not because of anything related to Anisimov’s health.

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Henrik Lundqvist has allowed just two goals on seven attempts in two shootout competitions, but has lost them both, losing 2-1 to Anaheim in Stockholm on Oct. 8 before dropping yesterday’s match. The King entered the season with a 37-24 career shootout mark after going 7-3 last year. The Rangers have yet to score in seven tries in the competition with Erik Christensen and Richards each 0-for-2. Wolski (who hit the post going against Craig Anderson yesterday on the final attempt), Anisimov and Mats Zuccarello are each 0-for-1.

larry.brooks@nypost.com