Rangers get defenseman Adam Fox back from injury

COLUMBUS, Ohio — In what shaped up as potentially the biggest game of the season against the team that stood between them and the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, the Rangers on Saturday got a huge boost to their chances to make the postseason.

Defenseman Adam Fox, who had missed the last eight games with what is suspected to be a left shoulder injury, was back in the lineup for the Rangers when they closed out their three-game road trip against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena.

With the Rangers tied with Columbus for the second wild card going into the game — but having won only one of the previous five games (1-2-2) — the Jericho product, who was tied for second on the team in points, was a sight for sore eyes.

“You’re talking about one of your top guys,’’ coach Peter Laviolette said after the team’s morning skate. “I think any time you lose one of your top-minute guys, top producers, you’re gonna feel it. I think other guys have stepped up, [but] it’s nice to have him back in the lineup. He’s a big piece.’’

Fox had been the Rangers’ leader in time on ice (an average of 23 minutes, 14 seconds) and had played on the top power-play unit and the second penalty-kill unit. His 48 points (five goals, 43 assists) in 58 games played were tied with Mika Zibanejad for second-most on the team behind Artemi Panarin (28 goals, 41 assists, 69 points).

The Rangers went 3-3-2 in the games Fox missed and the power play struggled to produce, going 2-for-26 (7.7%) without him at the point.

Zac Jones, who ran the point on the first power-play unit most of the time Fox was out, dropped down to the second unit with Fox back.

Jones said the low production by the power play during Fox’s absence mostly stemmed from a lack of fortune and was not because the unit wasn’t generating chances.

“We’ve been getting two to three power plays a game, and I feel like for the most part, over the however-many-game stretch that I’ve been on it, we’ve been getting good looks every game,’’ Jones said. “Whether it’s hitting a post, missing a back door, just little things. It’s just not executing. Sometimes that happens . . . I thought we got a lot of chances over the past couple games and just sometimes it goes, sometimes it doesn’t.’’

Zibanejad was asked if the fact that Fox is a righthanded shot, versus Jones being a lefthander, makes a difference for what the power play is trying to do.

“It’s a bit different to have a lefty up top or have a righty up top,’’ he said. “I would say the one-timers are the biggest differences in terms of how the puck gets to you and what angle. But no, I don’t think it changes. I don’t think we have to set up on one side or the other depending on who’s up in the top end.

“But yeah, it’s obviously good to have [Fox] back,’’ he said. “I’m hoping that we can get a couple [opportunities] tonight and make sure that we score. And if we don’t score, at least create some momentum from it.’’

Fox’s return to the lineup and the choice by Laviolette to keep Jones in meant newcomer Carson Soucy, who was acquired at the trade deadline from Vancouver, was a healthy scratch.

“For all the players that come in, I think that there’s always an adjustment period coming in and picking things up,’’ Laviolette said. “I think [Soucy]’s come in and given us good minutes. We played pretty good defensively. Again, it goes back to [dressing only] 12 forwards, six defensemen. Those are the slots that have to get filled. So it makes it difficult sometimes.’’

Scratching Soucy meant that all three of the players acquired by the team just before the trade deadline — Soucy, forward Juuso Parssinen and defenseman Calvin de Haan, who came over from Colorado in the deal that sent Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey to the Avalanche — were healthy scratches.

Igor Shesterkin got the start in goal. He started all three games on the road trip.

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.