Rangers' Filip Chytil sits out second straight game despite participating in morning skate
Rangers center Filip Chytil drives against Hurricanes defenseman Brady Skjei during the third period in Game 3 of an NHL Stanley Cup second-round playoff series Thursday in Raleigh, N.C. Credit: AP/Chris Seward
Apparently, it wasn’t a long-term illness for Filip Chytil.
And, more encouraging, it doesn’t seem to be an “illness,” the quotation marks representing a euphemism for ongoing symptoms for the concussion-prone forward.
Chytil was not in the lineup for a second straight game — coach Peter Laviolette reinserted fan fascination Matt Rempe — as the Rangers tried to close out the Hurricanes in Game 5 of their second-round series on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
But Chytil was on the ice and a full participant in the Rangers’ morning skate, a positive development after he was held out of the Rangers’ 4-3 loss in Saturday’s Game 4 in Raleigh, North Carolina, because of illness.
Perhaps it was just that.
“I think we’ve said that from the time he joined us on the ice, it’s always good to see everyone,” Mika Zibanejad said.
Chytil’s morning-skate presence was a sigh of relief for his teammates.
“Yeah, for sure,” defenseman Braden Schneider said. “You hate seeing guys when you don’t know what’s going on. But whenever they’re back on the ice and back working, it’s always a big boost. I thought he played a great game the other night.”
“It’s definitely a good thing,” said Jonny Brodzinski, who exited the lineup for Rempe. “He’s been through a whole lot this last year. Just to see him out there with us, I know he’s smiling. He’s just happy to be out on the rink with everybody.”
Chytil, 24, who was selected 21st overall in 2017, was a surprise addition to the Rangers’ lineup for their 3-2 overtime road win in Thursday’s Game 3, logging 12:02 with one shot after missing the final 72 games of the regular season with a suspected — but never confirmed — concussion.
The natural center worked on third-line center Alex Wennberg’s left wing along with Kaapo Kakko.
The Rangers ruled Chytil out for the season in January and he went back to Czechia to recover. But he returned to begin practicing again with the Rangers on April 12 without restrictions.
Given that Chytil is believed to have suffered multiple concussions in his six NHL seasons, missing Game 4 with the illness designation certainly raised a red flag.
Chytil worked as an extra during the morning-skate line drills and remained on the ice after the regulars headed off. Rempe also was not part of the line drills as Brodzinski, who drew into the Game 4 lineup for his first action in these playoffs, skated on the fourth line.
But only Rempe took pregame warmups.
Rempe played in the first six games of the playoffs but was on the ice for just 4:03 in the Rangers’ 4-3 double-overtime win in Game 2 at the Garden.
Laviolette is clearly observing “Fight Club” rules: You do not talk about the lineup. So there’s no hint on when Chytil might play again.
“We want everybody to be game-ready,” Laviolette said. “Everybody was out there for practice this morning and that’s a real positive thing for our team.”
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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