Rangers finally whole again as ‘engine’ Ryan Lindgren returns from injury

The Rangers will be whole again for Wednesday night’s Garden matchup against the Lightning with Ryan Lindgren’s return to Adam Fox’s left side.

“He’s a little bit of an engine for our team,” Vincent Trocheck told The Post following Tuesday’s practice. “He gets us in the frame of mind to be ready to get into battles and to grit it out.”

Lindgren has been sidelined for 17 of the Blueshirts’ last 18 games in the aftermath of the left shoulder injury he sustained during the first period of the Feb. 25 match in Washington.

No. 55 missed 11 straight before a one-game return against Carolina on March 21, in which he re-aggravated the injury.

He has been in civilian clothes for the last six matches.

“I was anxious to get back in but I also wanted to be sure so close to the playoffs,” Lindgren told The Post. “I was able to play in that game against Carolina but not with the style I wanted to, so it took some time to get to this point.

“It sucks to sit out, and definitely for this long, but I’m happy I did it.”

The Rangers went 12-3-2 in Lindgren’s absence but there is no denying Lindgren’s value to the effort.

He makes Fox a better, more confident player.

His return creates a deeper six on the back end, with Niko Mikkola shifting from a matchup unit with Fox to the third pair with Schneider.

Round pegs in round holes.

“We probably held him out a little longer [than necessary] but you know what, you want to make sure,” said head coach Gerard Gallant, who added that No. 55 would be under no restrictions. “We’re going to play him as, ‘Good to go, good to go.’

“Nobody has told us anything different. The kid worked hard for a week. Hopefully, things go well. Injuries can happen at any time to any player but you just hope everything is good. He works hard and plays hard. He feels 100 percent ready to go.”

The Rangers started the day three points behind New Jersey for second place before the Devils met the Penguins at the Rock on Tuesday night.

Securing home ice for the first round would be an advantage, but the prepping for the playoffs has seemed the priority since last Monday’s clinching of a spot.

To that end, getting Lindgren back into the flow against the Tampa Bay club that ended the Blueshirts’ dream late last May and remains a formidable contender is a step in the right direction.

“Adding him to our group makes a big difference in our team,” said Gallant. “I think he adds a lot to the group. He’s a competitive guy as we all know, the way he plays the game, penalty-killing he’s huge for us, defensive situations, he’s huge for us.

“And saying that, he’s a good offensive player, too. He moves the puck real well. He works hard every shift. We all saw how he played in the playoffs last year and that’s what excites you about him.”

The K’Andre Miller-Jacob Trouba pair has tightened up in the 14 games since No. 79 served his three-game sentence for spitting at Drew Doughty on Feb. 26.

Indeed, the tandem has been on for 16 goals for and six against (72.7 percent) over this span.

The pair had been underwater before that, on for 32 for and 48 against (40 percent).

The Lindgren-Fox pair has the third highest goals-for percentage at 62.12 (41 for, 25 against) among NHL tandems with at least 750:00 at five-on-five.

Lindgren’s return coupled with the Miller-Trouba revival provides the Rangers with a pair of matchup duos that can divide responsibility against the opposition’s top six.

“I’ve had a long time off so I’m obviously well-rested,” said Lindgren. “I’ll be fresher but also probably rustier at the start.

“It took me a little time to get into it when I came back against Carolina, so I’m looking forward to these games coming up and getting ready for the playoffs. I’m really happy to be back.”