Braden Schneider has been scratched only twice since making his NHL debut in mid-January.
The most recent scratch came Sunday against the Flyers, after the rookie defenseman went a minus-three in the Rangers’ shutout loss to the Islanders two nights earlier. When Schneider drew back into the lineup Tuesday against the Devils, he told himself to do something to impact the game.
So Schneider didn’t hesitate when a textbook shoulder-to-chest hit on Devils center Jesper Boqvist lined up for him in the first period. There was also no hesitation in the right hooks he unloaded on Yegor Sharangovich after the Devils forward took issue with the hit.
The Rangers ultimately earned a power play from the sequence and Ryan Strome tied the game en route to a 3-1 victory across the Hudson.
“The game prior I didn’t play very aggressive,” Schneider said Wednesday after practice. “I wasn’t happy, I kind of was on my heels a little bit more. So the main thing I kept telling myself is to make sure you’re on your toes and do something. Whether that was just making good breakout passes, being hard on guys in the corners.
“I wasn’t looking for a big hit like that, but obviously that also helps going forward when I’m giving the team energy and giving me some confidence to keep playing my game.”
Schneider said he’s only fought one other time in his hockey career, back in juniors. But he added he’s always liked to play the game hard. Fellow defenseman Jacob Trouba said he had heard Schneider had that kind of fight in him, though he hadn’t seen it until Tuesday night.
It was the exact kind of play the Rangers knew Schneider was capable of when they traded up to take him 19th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft.
“Canadian boy,” head coach Gerard Gallant said. “He played in the Western Hockey League, we knew he had a little bit of that in him. There’s no doubt. I had him on Team Canada at the World Championships and he’s a kid that’s ready to go and prepares himself every night. You can see he’s a big, strong boy. That’s just a part of his game that will be there when it has to be.”
Schneider is battling for a spot on the Rangers’ third defensive pair along with veterans Patrik Nemeth and Justin Braun. The more momentum-shifting plays he makes, the more difficult it’ll be to take him out of the lineup. Schneider skated on the right side of Braun for a second straight game on Thursday against the Penguins.
Gallant noted that Braun hasn’t played on his offside on the left that much throughout his 12-year NHL career, but he said the 35-year-old had no issue making the switch. Braun was ultimately scratched Thursday night in favor of Nemeth.
“It’s going to be a lot of trial and error, for sure,” Schneider said. “I think everyone here has been such awesome teammates and I think it’s going to be whatever happens, happens. Everyone’s a great guy and handling it so professionally, so I think it adds that extra competitiveness and you want to be ready to go every night.
“But there’s no hard feelings if Braun or Nemo play over me. I’m not mad at them by any means. … It’s been a lot of fun to learn and play with them.”