But Hartley announced Monday that he was going back to Lehtonen, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2002 draft and Atlanta’s presumed goalie of the future.

It didn’t work.

The skating and zigzagging play by Jagr and Nylander looked every bit like the Harlem Globetrotters on ice.

Jagr eluded Eric Belanger in the neutral zone then found Nylander behind the Thrashers’ defense for the first goal. Nylander then got to a big rebound of Marcel Hossa’s shot in the right circle to make it 2-0 at 9:45. When Malik scored 2:41 later, the only question left was how long Hartley would stick with the 23-year-old Lehtonen.

The only reason he wasn’t pulled was Hartley didn’t want to spend Hedberg, who’ll start Game 4.

Callahan, who netted four goals in 14 games, got two postseason tallies just under 11 minutes apart in the second period to bust the game open.

Lundqvist’s biggest test came during a Rangers power play late in the first period when Pascal Dupuis, who played briefly with New York this season, got free on a breakaway but had the puck slide off his stick. Lundqvist also flopped flat on his back in the second to keep Atlanta off the board.

Notes: Nylander’s hat trick was the Rangers’ first in the playoffs since Wayne Gretzky on May 18, 1997. ... Tyutin had 12 assists in the regular season. ... Lehtonen allowed a season-high five goals in a game five times. ... The Rangers have a 112-73 shots advantage in the series. Atlanta recorded three in the third period.

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