The Bruins’ Paul Mara, left, and Petr Prucha of the Rangers jockey for position during the second period of last night’s game at Boston’s TD Banknorth Garden.

AP / Elise Amendola

BOSTON — A National Hockey League game on a Monday night in the dead of winter should have a high- tempo, relentless style of play.

The only thing that even resembled that at the TD Banknorth Garden last night was a three-minute youth game during the first intermission that ended with a standing ovation from the 13,367 fans.

In the NHL game, the New York Rangers stomped on the Boston Bruins, handing them a 6-1 shellacking, with the home team lacking quality scoring chances throughout.

Bruins head coach Dave Lewis said after the team’s game-day skate yesterday morning that it doesn’t matter how Boston earns the points as long as it gets them.

There are certain things you need to do to win hockey games, Lewis has often said. But the Bruins didn’t do any of them last night.

"New York is one of the teams we have to catch to make the playoffs, and the way we played tonight definitely won’t cut it," said Bruins defenseman Paul Mara. "We have to pick our game up in all facets and we have to be better. If any of you guys have any answers,” he said to the press, “tell us; we’re looking for them."

Boston starting goaltender Tim Thomas was pulled for the sixth time this season after allowing three goals on 14 shots.

"I hope this is rock-bottom," said Thomas. "You never know what rock-bottom is until you turn it around, and hopefully that’s [today]."

"I was totally surprised," said Thomas of being pulled. "It never crossed my mind. I was totally surprised when I looked up and saw Hannu on the ice."

From the opening faceoff, the puck refused to bounce in the Bruins’ favor, especially in the first period.

The Rangers grabbed the early advantage when a centering pass from behind the Bruins’ net deflected off Patrice Bergeron’s left skate and found its way through the legs of Thomas for a 1-0 advantage at 9:11. The Rangers’ Petr Prucha was credited with the goal.

Bergeron, however, quickly made up for it.

Boston was awarded its first power play of the night and Bergeron cashed it in with the tying tally at 10:55. The Bruins had control in the offensive zone when defenseman Zdeno Chara let a shot go from the point, which was deflected in front by Marco Sturm and Glen Murray before trickling out to the left faceoff circle. Bergeron fired a backhander past New York goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to the far post to tie the game at 1-1.

With less than two minutes remaining in the first period, once again the Rangers got a fortunate bounce. New York defenseman Michal Rozsival broke toward the net and received a centering pass from Prucha. But the puck was on its side. As Rozsival attempted to stickhandle around Thomas, the puck jumped off his stick and went through Thomas’ 5-hole for a 2-1 lead at 18:50.

The second period was more of the same.

Prucha notched his second of the night when he lunged toward a centering pass and chipped it into the 5-hole on Thomas for a 3-1 lead at 6:41 of the period. Lewis then decided to pull Thomas after 14 shots and replaced him with Hannu Toivonen.

The Bruins had a breakdown on their second power play of the night and the Rangers capitalized, scoring their fourth goal of the game when Cullen fired a wrister past Toivonen to the top right corner at the 10-minute mark.

Boston remained snakebitten in the period as one of just a few quality scoring chances — a point-blank one-timer by defenseman Bobby Allen — hit the post.

The Bruins didn’t fare any better in the third period as Brendan Shanahan converted a penalty shot for his 25th goal of the season at 6:26 for a 5-1 lead. Just over a minute later, the Rangers’ Michael Nylander scored a power-play goal for a 6-1 lead.

“Time is running out,” said Lewis. “Points are running out.”

jmcdonal@projo.com