SUNRISE, Fla. — The Rangers’ Vitali Kravtsov-Filip Chytil-Julien Gauthier line generated a passel of scoring chances while recording a 68.60 expected goals for rate in its first test-drive, Thursday in Tampa, Fla.
But the unit will not be intact for 2023 calendar-year opener on Sunday against the Panthers. When the Blueshirts completed their practice on Saturday, head coach Gerard Gallant explained why.
“In my mind I’ve got my perfect lineup if everybody’s healthy and playing good and that’s not part of that,” he said. “Laffy is part of that.”
“Laffy,” of course, is Alexis Lafreniere, who has been reinstated to the lineup after watching the 2-1 shootout loss to the Lightning in street clothes as a healthy scratch. He will skate on a line with Chytil and Jimmy Vesey. It will mark the 16th game in which Lafreniere will line up with Chytil, though it will be the first time that particular group will form a unit.
“It’s part of building a young man,” Gallant said of the thought process surrounding the one-game timeout that was applied to Lafreniere, the 2020 first-overall pick. “He’s 21 years old, he’s played parts of three years in the league — obviously with COVID, so not really — but it’s part of the game.
“[Kaapo] Kakko has sat out games before. People sit out games. It’s not a big deal. Sometimes the kid sitting might come back and say, ‘I’ll play real well.’ We’ll see what happens.”
Lafreniere hasn’t scored a goal since Dec. 7 at Vegas, notching four assists in eight games since. He has 17 points (5-12) in 36 games, with 16 points at even-strength (5-11) and one (0-1) on the power play.
“Maybe [Lafreniere] will say it’s a wake-up call. He can say what he wants and that’s fine,” Gallant said. “I didn’t like the way he played last game [against Washington], the three or four games prior to that weren’t great either, they were OK but not great.
“We want him to be more consistent and play better. He wants the same thing. He’s a good kid, we like him — it’s not like we don’t like the kid. There are lessons learned.
“I was fortunate enough to play pro hockey and I got sat out of some games, too. Shake it off.”
The Panthers, last season’s Presidents’ Trophy winners with 122 points (58-18-6), are sixth in the race for an Eastern Conference wild-card spot, with 36 points at 16-17-4. They are eight points behind the Islanders and Rangers for the second wild-card slot, with each team having played 37 games. The 2014-15 Bruins are the last reigning Presidents’ Trophy winner to miss the playoffs.
Igor Shesterkin is expected to make his NHL-leading 29th start in goal on Sunday. Jaroslav Halak, with nine starts, last got the assignment in Philadelphia on Dec. 17. That marks his only start since Nov. 30, a stretch of 11 games, going on 12.
Credit: Source link
