Rangers' Filip Chytil plays in Game 2 vs. Panthers

GREENBURGH — Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final between the Rangers and Florida Panthers on Friday night at Madison Square Garden was huge for the Blueshirts, of course, given that they trailed in the best-of-seven series after their shutout loss in Game 1.

But for Filip Chytil, Game 2 was a pretty big deal on a personal level.

It marked the first time since he initially was injured in early November that he played consecutive games, and they came in a three-day span.

“It feels like I’m back,’’ Chytil said at Friday’s morning skate. “I missed over 80 games in the season, and it’s still, for me, a big excitement that I can play. And a lot of adrenaline goes into it. So I’m just proud of this, that I can be there. I will do everything for us to win the game. I will do all the hard things in every shift when I’m out there.’’

After the way Game 1 ended Wednesday night, there was a little concern about whether Chytil would be available for Friday. He took a hit from Florida defenseman Niko Mikkola as time was running out, lost his edge and slid into the side boards. He got up and skated off fine, but because the Rangers did not practice Thursday, it wasn’t until Friday’s morning skate that it was confirmed that he was good to go for Game 2.

Given that Chytil missed the final 72 games of the regular season and the first six games of the postseason with what is believed to have been a concussion, there is curiosity any time he takes a hit in a game. Chytil brushed off Mikkola’s hit as nothing to worry about. “A normal hockey play,’’ he called it. “Nothing crazy.’’

The 24-year-old Czech played in Game 3 of the previous series against Carolina and said afterward that he had felt great. He did not play in Game 4 because of illness, the Rangers said. He didn’t play in Game 5 because of soreness, they said. Then he didn’t play in Game 6 of that series before returning Wednesday in Game 1 of the current series.

Chytil played nine minutes and 17 seconds Wednesday, and coach Peter Laviolette was asked for his impressions of him after two games.

“I thought he was good,’’ Laviolette said. “If I’m being honest, I thought as a group — so he’s included in that — we needed to be a little bit more impactful inside the game . . . But I think he’s been good. It’s been a process, and he’ll continue to get better.’’

Although Laviolette hasn’t been willing to divulge much about his lineup before games, he looked as if he might be trying to roll the dice a little in Game 2. After playing Chytil at left wing on the third line in his first two games, with center Alexander Wennberg and right wing Kaapo Kakko, the personnel groupings in Friday morning’s battle drills gave indications that Laviolette might be moving Chytil up in the lineup.

With his team trailing in Game 1, Laviolette tried Chytil on the right wing of the nominal top line, with center Mika Zibanejad and left wing Chris Kreider, for a shift in the second period. In Friday’s morning skate, it looked as if Chytil again was working with Kreider and Zibanejad.

Chytil conceded that he’s not all the way back to the player he was before he got hurt, and he’s not sure how long it will be before he can be that player. Laviolette was asked if he can adjust his expectations for what Chytil can provide during the conference finals.

“I think that there’s a balance that you have to try and find,’’ he said. “You’ve had a player who’s missed a substantial amount of time, who’s come back and worked hard to try to get back up to speed. I think with that there’s got to be some reps and there’s got to be some opportunity for him to do that.

“To answer your question . . . there will be an expectation that, in order to get those minutes and get those opportunities, it has to be productive as well.’’

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

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.