Ryan Lindgren #55 of the Rangers skates against the Toronto Maple...

Ryan Lindgren #55 of the Rangers skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022. Credit: Jim McIsaac

MONTREAL — Defenseman Ryan Lindgren and forward Tyler Motte took part in the optional morning skate Thursday at Bell Centre before the Rangers’ 4-3 shootout victory over the Canadiens, but neither was in the lineup.

“Not tonight, no,’’ Gerard Gallant said after the skate. “They’re still day-to-day.’’

Gallant said both are doing well. He hopes one or both can play at some point on the three-game road trip, which continues in Buffalo on Saturday and Pittsburgh on Sunday.

Despite missing the two players, the Rangers were able to dress the full complement of 18 skaters and two goaltenders for the first time in four games.

After playing short one forward and one defenseman in their last game Saturday in Boston, they got defenseman K’Andre Miller back from a three-game suspension for spitting at Kings defenseman Drew Doughty. That gave them six defensemen. They got a 12th forward when the NHL granted them an emergency recall to replace Motte. Jonny Brodzinski was called up from Hartford Tuesday and played Thursday night.

Motte missed his second game. He was forced to leave the March 2 game against Ottawa after being shouldered and elbowed in the chin by Ottawa forward Austin Watson. Watson was given a five-minute major penalty and ejected for the hit to the head but was not suspended.

Lindgren, who took part in the skate wearing a no-contact jersey, missed his fifth game with an apparent shoulder injury suffered Feb. 25 against the Capitals when he was shoved awkwardly into the boards by T.J. Oshie.

Blue notes

Forward Alexis Lafreniere, a Montreal native, scored the Rangers’ first goal, giving him 14 goals and a career-high 32 points . . . Artemi Panarin assisted on all three goals the Rangers scored in regulation.

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