Knowing as we do now that Ryan McDonagh played the final three games against the Lightning on a broken foot, isn’t it even more obvious why Chris Kreider — and then Derek Stepan — went right after Steven Stamkos when the Lightning captain drilled the Rangers captain into the wall late in the first period of Game 6?

Wasn’t that exactly the type of response called for under such a situation? Don’t you want your guys standing up for their leader, for one another? Wasn’t there a greater obligation for the Rangers to kill the cross-checking penalty Kreider was assessed than there was for the team’s strongest and most physical forward to watch from the side of the road as an innocent bystander?

Of course there was. And yet, the next day, when coach Alain Vigneault was asked for his response to Kreider’s response, the coach said this: “I mean, as much as at some point you’re happy that a player protects their teammate, and at this time not knowing what the [referees] are going to call, I’m more tempted to say turn the other cheek and let’s play.”

The following night, Game 7 at the Garden on Friday, Kreider turned the other cheek all game, his teammates turned the other cheek all game, and they were slapped out of the playoffs in as mute and passive a performance as possible in this kind of a showdown match.

The Rangers turned the other cheek the way the Canucks were instructed to turn the other cheek in the 2011 final against Boston, which they lost in seven with Vigneault behind the bench. Vancouver turned the other cheek even when Brad Marchand went rat-a-tat-tat on Daniel Sedin’s face in Game 6 then went out with a whimper in Game 7.

Here’s the thing: The meek never inherit the Stanley Cup.

These Rangers, in so many ways, are the linear descendants of the Emile Francis teams from the early ’70s, which were built on skill but always were just a little bit wanting when it came to push-back in an era when that meant punch-back, or, better yet, punch first.

Those Rangers (like these Rangers) were entertaining, fun to watch, and very good, but there always was somebody in the way. If not Boston, then Chicago, and if not Chicago, then Philadelphia, and at the height of The Cat’s team’s powers, the Bruins won two Cups, the Canadiens won two Cups, the Flyers won a Cup (and then another), and the Rangers won none.

Now, at the height of this team’s powers, the Kings have won twice, the Blackhawks have won and either Chicago, Anaheim or Tampa Bay is going to get one next month while the Rangers have won none.

Vigneault wants a certain skill set from his players, wants all of his players cut from the same cloth. Wants all of his defensemen to be mobile, first-pass, puck-movers. Wants all of his forwards to skate-skate-skate. General manager Glen Sather — who grew up with the Bobby Orr and the Animals Bruins, and later was sure to stock his dynastic Oilers to shotgun-riders — apparently shares Vigneault’s vision.

The Rangers found different ways to win during their Presidents’ Trophy season, but really, their attack almost entirely was based on skill and finesse. They rarely grinded anyone down. Their forecheck game was more fantasy than reality. A team might be able to get away with that in the regular season, might even be able to thrive, but not in the playoffs.

That the Blueshirts were unable to exploit Tampa Bay’s pedestrian bottom five defensemen when it counted most is beyond comprehension. Shut out for the final 145:43 at home? Four goals in four games at the Garden from the third-highest scoring team in the NHL? Come on.

This team is too homogenous. The Rangers need to add a measure of size, strength and malevolence on the wing to wear down the opposition and score the dirty goals they didn’t manufacture enough of during the playoffs, though the emerging J.T. Miller has the physical attributes and the grit for the job, if encouraged to play to those strengths.

And the Blueshirts most certainly need to add a physical defenseman capable of forcing the opposition to think twice before either crashing through the crease and into Henrik Lundqvist, as the Capitals did with impunity in Round 2, or zooming through the slot, as the Lightning did without a care in the world throughout Round 3.

Vigneault has had no use for 22-year-old righty Dylan McIlrath — the 2010 first-rounder who is owed a qualifying offer, will no longer be exempt from waivers, whose game in the AHL has received mixed reviews, but who is of the very ilk the Blueshirts require.

Now, the Rangers will either have to use him or lose him. It would be ridiculous to lose McIlrath without seeing what he has to offer in a regular season that will mean less than ever (as long as they get into the playoffs).

If that means buying out the final year of Dan Boyle’s contract even though his over-35, $4.5 million cap hit would remain on the books if he is unwilling to waive his no-move or nobody will take him in a trade, then so be it.

The Rangers have to diversify.

And they have to stop turning the other cheek.