Not one, not two, but three of the Rangers players who missed Saturday’s game due to injury were back on the ice at Monday’s practice.
That would be Andrew Copp, Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko, and though the team never sounded particularly concerned with their availability for the playoffs, the sight of all three as full participants headed into Tuesday’s game is a good one nonetheless. It’s not yet known whether they’ll play against the Hurricanes — Gerard Gallant called them “game-time decisions” — but the games that really matter aren’t for another week.
Being completely ready for the first round is the biggest concern for the Rangers right now. That means being as healthy as they can possibly be, as soon as possible.
Although in a perfect world, those three would all get some game action before the postseason, Gallant has no interest in rushing anyone back into the lineup to play a game that only matters for seeding purposes.
“[Being] 100 percent is more important than a couple games,” Gallant said.
Copp is dealing with a lower-body injury suffered against the Islanders on Thursday, while Chytil’s ailment — which flared up the same night — isn’t known. Kakko last played on April 16 against the Red Wings, when he left the game after 5:06 time on ice with a lower-body injury.
Kakko would seem to be the biggest concern for the Rangers, as he was out for over two months before his return was cut short by his current injury. He’s played just 41 games this season, and would be the player who would likely benefit most from getting back into a game before jumping into the intensity of playoff hockey.
“I’m not looking ahead,” Gallant said. “I’m looking at [Tuesday] night. They all did a good job today, but I don’t know if they’re ready to play.”
If and when all three are back in the lineup, Gallant will have a bit of a decision on his hands. In Monday’s practice, Chytil and Kakko played on a line with Alexis Lafreniere and Barclay Goodrow, rotating spots. When we last saw Chytil and Kakko in the lineup on April 13 against the Flyers, Lafreniere was the odd man out on that line.
But that configuration is by no means set in stone, and Lafreniere has notched an assist in each of his last two games. (Copp’s name, by contrast, is presumably written in ink alongside Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome).
Elsewhere in the lineup, the other decision for Gallant will be on the third defensive pairing, where Justin Braun, Braden Schneider and Patrik Nemeth have all seen time. Nemeth and Schneider struggled together in Saturday’s 3-1 loss to the Bruins, giving up a goal and five scoring chances against in 9:55 at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick.
“It’s a battle, it’s close and that’s the way it should be,” Gallant said. “We’ll try to give everybody some games here. We’ll see, one game at a time. We’ll project our lineup and see where it goes.”
As to anything regarding how that decision will be made, Gallant prefers to keep it close to the vest.
He does, though, understand that dealing with a lineup decision is a happy conundrum unto itself.
“Great problem to have. Going into the playoffs with hopefully a healthy team,” he said, knocking on the table in front of him. “It’s getting closer.”
