Filip Chytil misses second straight game, but Gerard Gallant says he should make upcoming road trip
The Senators' Mathieu Joseph checks the Rangers' Filip Chytil during the third period of an NHL game on Nov. 30 in Ottawa, Ontario. Credit: The Canadian Press via AP/Patrick Doyle
Filip Chytil missed his second consecutive game Monday night with a lower-body injury as the Rangers hosted the Blues at Madison Square Garden. The center last played Wednesday in the Blueshirts’ 3-1 win over the Senators in Ottawa.
With the Rangers leaving Tuesday for a two-game road trip to face the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday and the Colorado Avalanche on Friday, coach Gerard Gallant was asked if he thought Chytil would make the trip.
“I’m sure he will,’’ Gallant said. “He’s day-to-day.’’
Forward Jonny Brodzinski, who had been called up from AHL Hartford on Saturday before the Rangers’ game against Chicago, was sent back to Hartford on Sunday and recalled Monday.
He was in the lineup against the Blues and Ryan Carpenter was scratched to make room. Brodzinski centered the fourth line between Sammy Blais and Julien Gauthier, who assisted on Braden Schneider’s goal in the first period.
The other scratch was defenseman Ben Harpur, who was called up Saturday to fill the seventh defenseman spot after Zac Jones was sent to Hartford.
Trouba, Miller reunite
After splitting up the struggling Jacob Trouba-K’Andre Miller defense pair for the previous three games, Gallant reunited them against the Blues. Libor Hajek, who had been with Trouba, and Schneider, who had been with Miller, were partnered together on the third pair. Miller and Schneider both scored goals, as did Adam Fox, giving the Rangers three goals from defensemen in the game . . . In the third period, Miller snapped his stick while trying to take a shot and raced back on defense without his stick. But he was able to deliver a heavy body check to drop St. Louis forward Torey Krug to stop the Blues’ two-on-two rush. “I just tried to get back as fast as I could, obviously,’’ Miller said. “I saw Krug get the puck and kind of, he wasn’t really expecting, I don’t think, the step-up. But luckily, I got him.’’
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.
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