Santino Vasquez was watching the Wild-Rangers game on television at his St. Paul home Thursday night when the call came.

Kirk Olson, the Wild’s strength and conditioning coach and house goalie manager, wondered whether the former Hamline University reserve and semipro netminder could scramble to the Xcel Energy Center.

The Rangers needed an emergency backup for star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, whose scheduled night off was ruined when starter Antti Raanta left the game with a head injury after absorbing a Marco Scandella slap shot to the forehead with 6:11 remaining in the first period.

“I was literally at home watching the game,” Vasquez said, “and just got home from coaching and Kirk called and said, ‘Can you get down here as fast as you can?’

“I live like two minutes away over the bridge. I just grabbed all my (stuff) and got down here.”

Vasquez, 26, spent the next two-plus hours sequestered in an auxiliary room across from the Rangers’ dressing room, dressed in hockey undergarments wondering whether he would be summoned for the moment of a lifetime and New York’s greatest nightmare.

“I was just in here stretching, just hanging out, staying relaxed,” he said. “I don’t really get too nervous. I’ve been down here a lot. I would have been ready to play, that’s for sure. I know they wouldn’t have scored on me every shot.”

Instead, the Wild ventilated Lundqvist for four goals in 46-plus minutes, including three in an 8:05 span in the third period, to sail to a 5-2 victory.

Vasquez, who runs a goaltending clinic in Hopkins, said he played semipro in the Czech Republic. He spent two seasons at Division III Hamline but appeared in only two games. His stat line, per the Internet Hockey Database, was ghastly by beer-league standards — seven goals allowed in 47 minutes. Vasquez left Hamline with an 8.94 goals-against average.

NHL-ready enough for the Rangers, who raised their DEFCON after Raanta went down. The league demands home teams to have candidates on call if a visiting team needs a backup and cannot rush a replacement from the minor leagues.

According to Article 16.13 of the collective bargaining agreement — the “Goaltender Exemption” — teams can sign replacements to an amateur or professional tryout contract up to two times per season.

The Wild were forced to do it in April 2014 when Niklas Backstrom was injured and Darcy Kuemper hurt himself during the morning skate in Los Angeles. They signed former minor leaguer Rob Laurie, who lived in Southern California, to a pro tryout deal.

Emergency goalies are paid $500 and allowed to keep their game-worn jerseys. Because Vasquez did not dress or sit on the Rangers bench, he was uncertain about compensation.

That was not the point. Vasquez has practiced with the Wild and worked out with Olson, who asked about a month ago whether he would be interested in becoming the house emergency goalie.

“I kind of had a feeling once I saw Raanta leave because my dad always said you never know when they’re going to call you,” Vasquez said. “A bunch of people were sending me text messages and Snapchats. It was pretty fun. Hopefully, I get to do it again.”

House goalies were part of Original Six lore when trainers would replace injured goalies during a bygone era when there was only one goalie per team, he didn’t wear a mask, and straight-blade sticks kept shots low.

However, it has been 52 years since an emergency goalie was called to duty. Some guy named Harrison Gray relieved injured future hall of famer Terry Sawchuk of the Detroit Red Wings in November 1963, according to The Hockey News.

Last season, the Florida Panthers lost Roberto Luongo to a minor injury, and later backup Al Montoya — after Luongo reportedly went home.

Needing someone to man the crease, 41-year-old goalie coach Rob Tallas was quickly signed as an emergency backup while Luongo raced back to the arena, donned his equipment and finished the game.

“It’s part of the game,” lamented Rangers coach Alain Vigneault, whose No. 1 goalie was thrust into the game trailing 1-0.

King Henrik’s 15 wins were third-most in the NHL and his .933 save percentage ranked fifth. However, the 2012 Vezina Trophy winner was a mess, yielding sloppy third-period goals to Jason Pominville and Chris Porter.

“It’s awfully tough to come in like that,” Lundqvist said. “That fourth one was a killer. It was time to be focused.”

Meanwhile, Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk returned after missing four games recovering from a knee injury and taking a back seat to Darcy Kuemper, who won two straight in his stead.

Dubnyk was welcomed back with a penalty shot 49 seconds into the game, gloving defenseman Keith Yandle’s telegraphed wrister.

“It feels good,” Dubnyk said. “Gives the fans something to cheer about and keeps the score at zero.”

Muffled cheers were all Vasquez heard from his outpost. After the final horn sounded, he quietly peeled off his equipment, stuffed it back into his tattered bag, got back into his black suit and walked anonymously past the Rangers and Wild dressing room toward the exit.

A job well not done.

Follow Brian Murphy at twitter.com/murphPPress. Murphy talks Vikings with Chad Hartman at 2:35 p.m. Mondays on WCCO-830 and 9:30 a.m. Fridays with Mackey and Judd on 1500-ESPN.