A third-period goal spelled the end of the New York Rangers’ three-game winning streak on Tuesday night.

Henrik Lundqvist was good, but Alex Auld was better, and Benoit Pouliot’s goal in the third gave the Montreal Canadiens a 2-1 victory.

New York scored first on Brandon Dubinsky’s 17th of the season just 4:15 into the contest. Montreal tied the game on Jaroslav Spacek’s second goal of the season with just 1:11 left before intermission.

Montreal took the lead on Pouliot’s ninth goal of the season at the 6:03 mark of the third. Auld stopped 25 of 26 shots for the Canadiens. Lundqvist was almost as good for the Rangers, making 36 saves.

The Rangers are in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 53 points, two points ahead of the Canadiens, who are tied with Atlanta for seventh.

—30—

The New York Rangers hope their 85th season of existence goes much better than the 84th.

The Rangers packed up their skates earlier than usual in 2009-10, missing the playoffs by finishing ninth in the Eastern Conference. New York missed the postseason by just one point, finishing with 87 points (Philadelphia and Montreal each finished with 88; both would make the conference finals).

New York played catch-up all season after a tough start, during which the Rangers went 5-8 in October and at one point lost seven out of 10.

One bright spot for the Rangers last season was the play of right winger Marian Gaborik, who led the team in goals (42), assists (44) and points (86). Gaborik will be counted on heavily to help the Rangers turn things around this season.

The Rangers start the season at Buffalo on Oct. 9, and play host to Toronto on Oct. 15 in the home opener.

—30—

The New York Rangers spotted the Tampa Bay Lightning two goals and 20 minutes on Sunday.

Then the Rangers took off. Four goals in a 12:38 span of the second period, closing the pre-Olympic part of their schedule with a 5-2 victory at Madison Square Garden.

Sean Avery’s penalty shot 100 seconds into the second period jump-started the Rangers, who enter the Olympics with victories in three of their past four games. The win also ties New York with the Lightning for ninth place in the Eastern Conference at 63 points, one point behind eighth-place Montreal and one point ahead of 11th-place Atlanta.

After Avery’s goal made it 2-1, Vinny Prospal tied the game at 6:07 of the second. Erik Christensen broke the tie with the first of his two goals at 12:06, and he scored again 1:46 later to make it 4-2.

Chris Drury scored an empty-net goal with 15 seconds left for the Rangers, who return to action March 2 at Ottawa.

—30—