Henrik Lundqvist is doing all he can to return to net this week

Henrik Lundqvist was getting closer, but not quite there yet.

The Rangers goalie did not dress for a third straight game as he recovers from the head/neck/back soreness, this one a 4-2 loss to the Capitals on Monday night at the Garden.

Lundqvist was hurt in a collision during the team’s 5-3 loss to the Blue Jackets on March 19, but he has been skating and did come on to the ice late for Monday’s morning skate, getting extra work with goaltending coach Benoit Allaire. According to coach Alain Vigneault, Lundqvist should be ready to practice with the team Tuesday and then play the second leg of this home-and-home Wednesday night in Washington.

In his stead, rookie Alexandar Georgiev got his sixth start in the past seven games and had arguably his worst performance, allowing three goals on six shots over the opening 8:54, falling behind 3-0 and being replaced by Ondrej Pavelec.

Pavelec was terrific in stopping 26-of-27 shots in his first game action since Feb. 9, when he left a start against the Flames after the first period with a MCL sprain in his left knee that he had ostensibly been rehabbing ever since. Vigneault hss made it clear the organization wants to get a look at Georgiev to see if the 22-year-old could be its backup next season, but the veteran Pavelec showed some poise in relief.

“Coming off the bench, he made some real big saves,” Vigneault said. “He’s been a real good teammate. It was good to see him go in goal there and have a good game.”

Lundqvist had previously said that he wants to play down the stretch, with the Rangers having six more games left, the only one at home Friday against the Lightning. After that, they have one game each in Raleigh (March 30), Newark (April 3), Brooklyn (April 5) and the season finale in Philadelphia on April 7.

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Lias Andersson, 19, and Filip Chytil, 18, came up from AHL Hartford on Sunday and played Monday, becoming the first pair of teenagers to play in the same game with the Rangers since Dec. 19, 1974. Then, it was done by Dave Maloney, who was playing in his second career NHL game, and Ron Greschner.

Andersson (No. 7-overall) and Chytil (No. 21) were also the first pair of Rangers first-round draft picks to play in a game with the team in the season immediately following their draft year since Ron Duguay and Lucien DeBlois in 1977-78.

To make room for the two youngsters, Vigneault decided to make David Desharnais, Peter Holland and Paul Carey healthy scratches. He did leave enforcer Cody McLeod in the lineup, on the left side of a fourth line with Vladislav Namesnikov and Pavel Buchnevich.

Defenseman Brady Skjei turned 24 years old on Monday, and was also given the Good Guy Award from the Rangers chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA). , given out every year to the most media-friendly player for that season.