Off back-to-back losses, the Rangers play the first of back-to-back games tonight at home against the Avalanche, welcoming back Dryden Hunt (update: and of course Alexandar Georgiev). After that step up in class and measuring stick contest, the Blueshirts travel to the Island to face the Islanders on Wednesday. If New York plays as they did Sunday, unless Igor Shesterkin stands on his head, it could be a long night.
The Rangers will be without Filip Chytil tonight and the remainder of the week with the “upper-body… injury he suffered from Cole Sillinger’s elbow to his head Sunday. While not being officially called a concussion, it’s pretty clear he suffered a concussion. The “hope… is that Chytil, who had taken a major step forward this season and was one of the team’s best and most consistent performers, will be back in a week. But there is a decent possibility he will be sidelined longer.
Will Chytil out, Barclay Goodrow will center the third line, joined by Jimmy Vesey. What was once a scoring line, the third line may morph more into a checking line. With the fourth line struggling to establish any sort of foothold and consistency, pressure will shift to the top-six to step up their output. Jimmy Vesey, scratched Sunday, will replace Chytil in the lineup. If Chytil is sidelined longer term than a week, a call up from the minors -Gauthier, Cuylle, Trivigno or Brodzinski - will have to be viewed as a possible option.
Vitali Kravtsov will also see more pressure put upon him to score. His first two games of the season have not gone as hoped. In the first, he was injured early in the contest, missing most of the game. Sunday, his second career NHL game, Kravtsov lost his center early in that contest, contributing to his so-so effort.
Kreider-Zibanejad-Kakko Panarin-Trocheck-Lafreniere Vesey-Goodrow-Kravtsov Blais-Carpenter-Reaves
On the blue line, Zac Jones who had a brutal offensive turnover leading to the first goal against, could be a healthy scratch. One indication of this possible change was seen in the PP2 alignment in practice yesterday. With no Chytil, PP2 had a different look: Trouba, Kakko, Kravtsov, Laf and Goodrow. The switches were that Kravtsov slid into Chytil’s spot and Goodrow replaced Laf at the net front, with Laf sliding over to the left circle where Jones has played.
If Jones is scratched, that means we will see Libor Hajek with Braden Schneider. One early concern for me is that I haven’t the growth expected from Schneider, nor do I think he has played as well as he did after his promotion last year. Schneider is pretty much locked in with no true available options to replace him - even for a game or two - on the right side. I am not advocating sitting him long term, but a game or two watching from the press box might not be a bad idea down the road.
Igor Shesterkin will be between the pipes. Not yet clear - or maybe decided - is if Igor will play in both or will Jarsolav Halak face his former team tomorrow. Halak stoned the Rangers while a member of the Islanders. Maybe coach Gerald Gallant sees if Halak can return the favor in the other direction Wednesday.