They ensured that wouldn’t happen, and then some.

Not only did Big Blue come away with the road victory they so desperately needed to remain a factor in the NFC playoff race, but the Giants served notice that if other conference contenders allow New York to crash the NFC postseason party, the Giants might still be dangerous enough to make the most of such an opportunity.

The G-Men made that type of statement with a thorough 45-12 thrashing of the Washington Redskins (4-10) before a national television audience in the nation’s capital on Monday Night Football.

It was the type of effort that was a lot more reminiscent of the Giants’ 5-0 start to the season while making the Giants temporarily forget their subsequent 2-6 mark leading into Monday night’s contest.

A day after the Redskins’ stadium crew had to remove an estimated 25 million pounds of snow from the stadium and their parking lots just so the game could be played after a big northeast snowstorm, it was the Giants who took the Redskins by storm.

The Giants sent an early message that they would return to their former dominating selves right from the outset, as they took the opening drive 80 yards in 16 plays, consuming 9:13, to lead 7-0 on a three-yard touchdown run by running back Ahmad Bradshaw (9 carries, 61 yards, 2 TD).

And, there was no looking back from there.

“We felt we can play at that caliber that we were playing at the beginning of the year. We came out fired up,” Bradshaw said. “This was a must-win. I told everybody before we went out, I need the whole team to come with us. And that’s how we played… together.”

The Giants scored on their first four possessions, and on six of nine times overall, punting just twice and simply running out the clock the final time they had the ball.

Meanwhile, the Redskins couldn’t get anything going offensively in that half while the Giants continued to move the ball and put points on the board.

The one saving grace for Washington might have been its defense, but even the Redskins’ biggest strength failed them against a determined Giants team.

Coming into the game, New York ranked 26th in red zone offense and was going against the NFL’s top red zone defense. Yet, the Giants scored on all four trips into the red zone, getting touchdowns on three occasions.

The Giants forced a three and out on Washington’s first possession, which included a third-down sack by defensive end Justin Tuck, the first of five different New York sacks which were recorded by five different Giants.

Big Blue then drove right down the field again, going 63 yards on 11 plays in 5 minutes, for 14-0 lead, as Bradshaw scored again, on a four-yard touchdown run 39 seconds into the second quarter.

The Giants then went 27 yards, settling for a 38-yard Lawrence Tynes field goal, and on their next possession, they struck quickly, going 56 yards on just four plays in 2:05, scoring on a six-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning (19-26, 268 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT) to wide receiver Steve Smith, to take a commanding 24-0 lead with 4:36 left in the first half.

With 1:55 left in the half and each team having had for possessions, the Giants had run 40 plays to the Redskins’ 15, and New York had outgained Washington 226-6.

Though he certainly did his own part, Manning gave credit to the Giants’ defense for contributing to the Giants’ offensive success. “They came out ready, and played awesome,” he said. “They kept giving us the ball and we kept going down and scoring. We just set the mood for the night very early.”

Washington finally looked good at the start of the third quarter, taking the opening possession of the period 86 yards on eight plays, in 4:20, scoring on an 11-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jason Campbell (15-28, 192 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT) to tight end Fred Davis 4½ minutes into the quarter.

The extra point was missed however, the Redskins still trailed 24-6, and the Giants weren’t through lighting up the scoreboard themselves.

New York answered Washington’s first score of the game with a seven-play, 77-yard drive in 4:08, capped by a 23-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to wide receiver Derek Hagan, to lead 31-6, with 6:21 left in the third quarter.

Just fourteen seconds later, it started to get embarrassingly bad for the Redskins.

Cornerback Terrell Thomas intercepted Campbell and scored on a 14-yard return to make the score 38-6, and made Giants fans think back to the first five weeks of the season when Big Blue was considered a legitimate Super Bowl contender prior to its mid-season swoon.

Redskins’ running back Quentin Ganther scored on a one-yard touchdown run with nine seconds left in the third quarter to at least get Washington to double digits, but an ensuing two-point try failed, and the Giants maintained a healthy 38-12 lead heading into the final quarter.

Before taking the bench later in the fourth quarter, Manning led one more scoring drive, taking the Giants 64 yards on five plays, in 2:14, finding wide receiver Mario Manningham on a 25-yard touchdown pass to close out the scoring with 12:48 left in the game.

Most importantly, the win keeps New York one game behind Dallas and Green Bay — who are each 9-5  overall — in the race for the two NFC wild-card playoff spots, with two weeks remaining in the regular season. The Cowboys and Packers are each 7-3 in NFC games, while the Giants improved to 6-4 within the conference. However, based on their season sweep over Dallas, the Giants need only to tie (not pass) the Cowboys in a potential two-team tie involving New York and Dallas. The Giants and Packers have not met this season, and do not play each other over the final two weeks of the regular season.

Secondarily, should the Giants find their way into the playoffs, and do so by playing in the next two weeks they way they played in Washington, they may look back to their victory over the Redskins as another crucial turning point in their season, and something on which to build a successful playoff run the way the 2007 Giants rode a 10-6 regular season to a Super Bowl title.

Thus, as Giants head coach Tom Coughlin pointed out, a greater sense of urgency such as the one on display in D.C., will be needed henceforth from the Giants this season.

“We were the team that had more at stake, obviously, and [we] played that way,” Coughlin said. “We always talk about being the team that demonstrates greater purpose. And we did… we ascended tonight, and we have to continue to do that.”

Henrik Lundqvist stopped all 35 shots allowing Ryan Callahan’s first period tally to hold up in a stunning 1-0 Game Two win over Washington at Verizon Center earlier today- letting the Rangers grab a commanding 2-0 series lead with Games 3 and 4 shifting to Madison Square Garden.

If the way they stole Game One was surprising, then the incredible poise they showed in silencing one of the game’s brightest stars and most potent offenses was equally as shocking. For after letting Alex Ovechkin fire shot after shot Wednesday, the Rangers were much better prepared for the league’s leading finisher, limiting him to six shots which were all challenged. They frustrated the Russian superstar who with the exception of a crossbar off the one great chance he had was kept in check.

That along with the Rangers remaining more disciplined taking only three penalties which they killed off allowed them to win a game most including myself didn’t expect them to. The forwards competed. The defense bent but never broke. And the goalie was unflappable. If the latter isn’t in Washington’s heads, then he’s awfully close after standing tall in denying all 16 shots sent his way in a frantic third.

Entering this series, Lundqvist needed to be the best player for the Rangers to have a realistic chance of pulling the upset. So far, he’s delivered by turning aside 67 of 70 shots. That included a huge stop on Nicklas Backstrom from the slot when the uncanny Swede used his mask to thwart one of the best Cap chances late. It’s that kind of caliber goaltending that’s allowed the Rangers to believe they can win this series.

Now, they’re in the driver’s seat coming home for what should be an amped up New York crowd. How they handle prosperity for the first time since earlier this season will go a long way to determining the outcome.

They got the lone goal in probably their worst period of the day when Callahan converted a two-on-one Markus Naslund feed going upstairs on rookie goalie Simeon Varlamov, who made the start in place of an ineffective Jose Theodore. It was the only goal he gave up finishing with a respectable 23 saves in his playoff debut.

Brandon Dubinsky started the play inside his own blueline catching Ovechkin and Mike Green deep springing Naslund and Callahan for the odd-man rush. The key defensive play along the boards by the Game One hero led to Naslund going wide before setting Callahan up perfectly for his first at 7:44. The Caps would get 13 shots in another strong first limiting the Blueshirts to only six but they had the one that mattered which allowed them to play their game.

If they weren’t good in the first 20 minutes, that changed as the Rangers began to take control in the second forcing Cap turnovers and establishing a forecheck. Something which was missing in the first game despite the outcome. It eventually led to four straight Capital penalties with Viktor Kozlov guilty of two. But the Ranger power play which was a huge surprise in Game One returned to form that saw them rank second to last during the season. The lack of a power play goal meant that they had no working margin.

It was the Ranger D which did the job keeping the Caps to the outside. In fact, they only tested Lundqvist six times in the middle stanza with nothing significant. Even a couple of late power plays didn’t generate much with the No.1 ranked PK keeping the Capitals guessing. Blair Betts, Freddy Sjostrom, Dubinsky and Callahan were splendid. So too were much maligned Wade Redden along with Michal Rozsival, who each had a second strong game. Marc Staal and Dan Girardi were also better. Paul Mara and Derek Morris played well.

Led by the blueline, the Rangers again sacrificed their bodies getting in the path of 29 Cap shots including four from a strong Girardi, Morris and Betts. Three also came from a less than 100 percent captain Chris Drury, who returned with whatever was bothering him. He only took two draws but played a gutty 22 shifts (15:25) showing the kind of leadership necessary to advance at this crucial time of year.

Predictably, the Capitals were better in the third period testing Lundqvist often. But the Rangers did a solid job allowing him to see the puck. Whatever he saw, he stopped. That included his biggest of the game on Backstrom with under four minutes left when he got a step on Redden getting a good shot off in the slot. But Lundqvist as he often does got a mask on it.

The Caps’ best opportunity came when Backstrom got a stick on Staal as he was making an outlet pass from behind his own net. The turnover almost proved costly as it came right to Alexander Semin who quickly centered for an open Ovechkin, whose shot nicked Lundqvist’s best friend, the crossbar leaving the 2007-08 Hart winner to shake his head in disbelief.

Desperate, Washington pulled Varlamov for an extra attacker with a minute to go. But it was a determined group of Rangers who wouldn’t allow them to get the kind of quality chance it would take to beat Lundqvist. Rozsival made a key defensive play breaking up a rush and Nik Antropov, who was stellar defensively cleared the zone as time wound down- allowing the Rangers to congratulate Lundqvist, who recorded his third career postseason shutout.

Three Stars:

3rd Star-Markus Naslund, NYR (assist, 2 hits, 2 takeaways, +1 in 15:32)

2nd Star-Ryan Callahan, NYR (GW goal 7:44 of 1st, 3 SOG, 2 hits, 2 blocked shots, 2 takeaways, +1 in 20:41)

1st Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (35 saves incl. 16 in 3rd, 3rd career playoff SHO)

Notes: After getting 13 of his 28 shots on goal in Game One, Ovechkin was held to just six SOG in 22:50 finishing minus-one. In an oddity, he and Green combined for 12 giveaways- half of the Caps’ glaring 24. By comparison, the Rangers had only seven all game. … Rangers showed improvement in the faceoff circle going 28-for-60 with Gomez (11-9) their best. Betts went 9-11 and Dubinsky was 6-7. For Washington, Backstrom went a dominant 13-6 and David Steckel was 4-1. … The Blueshirts held a slight edge in hits 23-20 with Dubinsky and Sean Avery (4) leading the charge while Ovechkin’s five paced everyone. … The Rangers’ 29 blocks were 16 better than the Caps, who countered with four players posting two. … Aaron Voros was a healthy scratch and Donald Brashear again satout for the Caps. Bruce Boudreau made one other change dressing D Brian Pothier for Jeff Schultz (upper body).

… Game Three is Monday at 7 ET at The Garden and can be seen on MSG locally. Versus and TSN are also covering it. … There are three other games later including Game Two between the top seeded Bruins and No.8 Canadiens going off at 8 on Versus. The B’s lead the series 1-0. Out West, defending champ Detroit looks to make it two for two against Columbus less than an hour from now on NHL Network/TSN. The Blackhawks will aim for two straight at 9 ET against the Flames.