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Rangers begin four-game West Coast swing, Chytil rightfully remains home |
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The Rangers were better, not great, in picking up a 3-2 win over the Sharks. New York was vastly outplayed in the first, looking like they did against Detroit and Winnipeg. The Blueshirts came out a vastly different team to start the second, dominating that period. Mika Zibanejad got the 1000 pound gorilla off his back, scoring in the second.
Even with the win, most of the focus post-game and the last 48 hours was the status of Filip Chytil, who was injured in a friendly fire collision with K’Andre Miller. Chytil did ot practice Saturday nor did he join the team on the flight to Seattle. He is listed as day-to-day and it's feasible he joins New York on their four-game trip. But given his injury history and how he looked post-collison, keeping him home is likely the prudent call
Projected lines versus Seattle:
Panarin - Trocheck - Laf
Kreider - Zib - Smith
Cuylle - Brodzinski - Kakko
Edström - Carrick - Vesey
Miller - Fox
Lindgren - Trouba
Jones - Schneider
As seen above, Jonny Brodzinski is penciled in as the third line center. Jake Leschyshyn was recalled from the Hartford Wolf Pack today. Brett Berard is not a center, so calling up Leschyshyn, who can play the middle is the prudent call. The organization is thin down the middle, even though Matt Rempe has been centering the Wolf Pack's second line and he is scuffling there as well. Brennan Othmann is out until likely last-December, so he was not a consideration. Sam Carrick is a fourth liner and that trio is playing well, so keep that unit together.
When Chytil went down, and I know some are blaming K'Andre Miller, which is the wrong call, my first thought was deja vu all over again. It was just over a year ago when a seemingly innocuous collision with Jesper Fast sidelined Chytil for nearly the rest of the season. The second thought, as Larry Brooks noted, was when Pat LaFontaine went down on March 16, 1998, after a friendly-fire collision with Mike Keane. Anyone watching that happen certainly thought that Lafontaine was done for good.
This is the concern with Chytil. He certainly looked unsteady after the collision and the 61-second shift he had after trying to return. Losing him would rob New York of their best center and maybe second best player on the team this season. He has played with verve and fire, trying to make up for the loss of last season and re-establish himself an elite player. That certainly has been the case, as he was driving play and pace. But his health takes priority over everything. If he says he is good after a week, give him extra time. Yes, he has to be placed in a bubble to protect Chytil from Chytil, that is all that matters.
Good to see Mika score. But let's see what happens Sunday. The concern has to also shift to Chris Kreider, whose struggles have been somewhat masked by the focus on Zib. He certainly has not been great 5x5, looking like a shell of what we are used to seeing. But as I have said, confidence begets confidence and doubt begets doubt, even with elite athletes.
On the blue line, Zac Jones and Braden Schneider need to be the second pair. Ryan Lindgren has removed the bubble mask he was wearing, so maybe that helps. But he and Jacob Trouba lack the foot speed to be a true second pair. Jones and Schendier are deserving of being a top-four unit, let's see if that happens.
Following the game Sunday versus the Kraken, the Rangers face the Canucks on Tuesday. After that, it's on to Calgary on Thursday and Edmonton on Saturday. New York comes home Monday to take on St. Louis before facing Carolina on the road on Wednesday and Philly at 1pm on Black Friday, wrapping up the month at home the next day against Monstreal.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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