'Maintenance' works wonders for Rangers' Alex Wennberg, who's in lineup for Game 3
Rangers' Alex Wennberg, right, moves the puck upice during the third period in Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series against the Washington Capitals, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in New York. Credit: AP/Seth Wenig
WASHINGTON — Center Alex Wennberg, who missed Thursday’s practice due to what the Rangers called “maintenance’’ was back on the ice for the team’s optional morning skate and in the lineup for Friday night's 3-1 victory in Game 3 at Capital One Arena.
“Just a maintenance day,’’ Wennberg said when asked about his absence Thursday. “I'm good to go right now, so it's all good."
“It's just one of those days,’’ he added. “I get a morning skate here getting ready for the game, so nothing special about it.’’
When Wennberg didn’t practice, Filip Chytil, who remains on long-term injured reserve with what’s believed to be a concussion but who has been practicing with the team for the past two weeks, took his spot in the middle of the third line, between wingers Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko. Chytil made the trip to Washington, but remained out.
Wennberg, who played 17:48 in Game 2 on Tuesday, including the final 2:14, as he helped the Rangers preserve a 4-3 lead, didn’t appear to suffer an injury in the game. He said it would take a lot to keep him out of a playoff game.
“Everyone wants to play a playoff game,’’ he said. “So yeah, you're battling through . . . right now I'm good to play, and that's what I'm focused on.’’
Reality check
When the Rangers picked him in the second round of the 2020 NHL draft, Cuylle talked about how he tried to model his game after Capitals forward Tom Wilson. The same Wilson who threw an elbow to Cuylle’s face on a faceoff in the second period of Game 2. His chin, Cuylle said, was “fine’’ afterward.
“Obviously you want to compete out there against other competitors, and I used to watch him a lot when I was younger,’’ Cuylle said of Wilson. “It's pretty cool to be out there playing against him.’’
Cuylle played against the Capitals, and Wilson, in the regular season, of course, but going up against him in a playoff setting was a relatively big deal.
“It makes me elevate my game a little bit more,’’ he said. “It ups my intensity, I think.’’
Cuylle was asked what sorts of attributes from Wilson’s game he tried to model and add to his own.
“When you're like really young, in junior (hockey), you just look at guys that have been kind of successful,’’ he said. “Just playing with energy, that sort of thing . . . whether that's driving to the net or throwing a hit. J Being noticeable out there every shift, and not just relying on stats or making plays with the puck, doing other things that don't always show up on the score sheet.’’
Blue shorts
The Rangers dressed the same lineup as they did in the first two games, meaning Jonny Brodzinski, Zac Jones, Chad Ruhwedel, Adam Edstrom and Louis Domingue were the scratches… Washington was hoping injured D Nick Jensen and Rasmus Sandin might play, but they did not.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
