NHL

RANGERS MUST BECOME MORE GOAL-ORIENTED

REGARDING the Rang ers:

Through five games, the Blueshirts’ best players have been: 1. Henrik Lundqvist; 2. Fedor Tyutin; 3. Dan Girardi. In his role, the best forward has been Blair Betts. Uh oh.

In other words, is there any wonder why the Star Spangled Blueshirts have scored all of seven even-strength goals (and 10 overall) in a 2-3-0 getaway?

Once upon a time, the Rangers gave a $45 million contract to Bobby Holik, who was then the NHL’s best shut-down center. They, of course, decided not to employ him as a checking center before deciding not to employ him at all.

Then the Rangers gave an $11.5 million contract to Matt Cullen, in large part because of his ability to shoot the puck from the right point.

They, of course, proceeded not to use him on the power play before proceeding to send him back to Carolina this summer, largely for salary cap reasons management created by giving Lundqvist an unnecessarily inflated one-year deal in order to avoid arbitration.

Now the Rangers have given a $51.5 million contract to Scott Gomez, whose fortes are transporting the puck on the power play and setting up wingers with speed who drive to the net at even strength.

Of course, through the first five games, Gomez has rarely if ever carried the puck out of his own zone on the power play breakout.

If No. 19 opens Thursday’s game at Atlanta the way he ended Saturday’s 3-1 loss to the Senators, on a line with Jaromir Jagr and Marcel Hossa, Gomez will be between wingers who like to slow the tempo down rather than accelerate it, and neither of whom goes to the net.

If Gomez is going to play with Jagr – and, logically, that is where he belongs – either Petr Prucha or Ryan Callahan should be on the left side, at least until Sean Avery is able to return to the lineup.

Hossa as an important player: I want to see it, but I confess I don’t. Yes, Marek Malik is off to as poor a start as the Garden gallery believes.

In other words, this isn’t Harry Howell being booed out of the old Garden in the 1960s or Allan Stanley being booed out of town in the 1950s.

It is, however, true that Malik’s partner, Michael Rozsival, hasn’t much helped the cause thus far, either.

Marc Staal, yes, so far. An identifiable constructive partner, no, not yet.

With 2:29 to play in the second period at the Garden on Saturday, referee Dennis LaRue stopped the game so that he could consult the video review judge to ascertain which Senators’ players who had been on the ice when Ottawa iced the puck.

Problem is, there are eight specified situations that are subject to video review according to NHL Rule 39.4, and not a single one of them includes identifying players on the ice following icing.

Saturday night again, third period. Brandon Dubinsky is kayoed by Luke Richardson with 2:26 showing on the clock. When play resumes, there’s 2:53 to go.

When Jagr scores, there’s 1:14 on the scoreboard. When the puck is dropped for the ensuing draw, the clock is set at 1:09.

Obviously no chemistry yet among the off-ice officials. But it’s early.

larry.brooks@nypost.com