As of this writing, the New York Rangers are one day away from beginning the Eastern Conference Final against the Florida Panthers. After dispatching the Carolina Hurricanes in six games in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Rangers have gotten extra days of both rest and practice and some new developments have been made at practice. The Rangers now have 16 healthy forwards they can choose from going into this series.
While it is unlikely that any of the current top six forwards will be replaced unless injury occurs, the bottom six of the lineup could see some changes and the Rangers will have a few options to choose from as this series begins and goes along. The Rangers are getting healthy at the best time of the season and having these extra players to choose from could make a bigger impact on this series than most realize. It is going to be interesting to see what head coach Peter Laviolette chooses to do and we shall see if he makes any changes as this series goes along.
Filip Chytil Will Play in Game 1
After playing in just one game during the second round against the Hurricanes, Filip Chytil missed the rest of the series with illness and nagging soreness as the one game he played was his first game in six months. He played in only 10 regular season games and missed the rest of the season with a concussion. After a few days off after beating the Hurricanes, the Rangers returned to practice and Chytil was taking part in line rushes as part of the third line. He was slotted on the left wing, playing with Alex Wennberg and Kaapo Kakko. It seems that as of this writing, he will be playing in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final and will be playing his first game back at Madison Square Garden since his injury.
His return to the lineup will bring more speed and scoring to a bottom six that hasn’t produced much in these playoffs, especially the third line with Wennberg and Kakko. Prior to Chytil, Will Cuylle was playing on that line and out of those three players, they have combined for only two goals. With Cuylle moving down and Chytil back in, he will bring a more shooting mentality to his line and hopefully, he can be the offensive spark that this line has been missing. While it might take him a few shifts to get adjusted, his return to the lineup makes the Rangers a much more dangerous and deep offensive threat against the Panthers.
Will Blake Wheeler Get a Shot to Play?
Another player who is now been cleared after having a regular season-ending injury is Blake Wheeler. He suffered a leg injury in February and played only 54 games this season. He scored nine goals and 21 points in those games and was being used on the third line and occasionally the first line. One of the biggest criticisms of his game this season was that his lack of speed was holding him back and it just looked like he couldn’t keep up in today’s NHL. Since he is coming off of a leg injury, that could have impacted his speed even more and even if he is healthy, it remains to be seen if he will see any game action in this series.
Related: Panthers vs. Rangers Eastern Conference Final Preview
One of the reasons why he could return to the lineup is because he is a veteran player with playoff experience and could be useful in a limited role. He is also a big player at 6-foot-5 and he wouldn’t be pushed around by the Panthers players, who play a very physical style of hockey. He would provide leadership on the bench and he is capable of playing in the dirty areas of the ice. So while he could provide a good veteran presence, his lack of game time and foot speed could be the biggest reasons why he might not play against the Panthers.
Matt Rempe’s Toughness Could Be Needed
The Panthers are a physical team and will hit you every chance they get and try to start scrums after every whistle. While the Rangers have players who can handle those situations, one player who could turn the tide is Matt Rempe. His size and physicality could be needed in a series like this. He’s not afraid of any player and if one of the Panthers’ players goes after one of the Rangers’ top players, he would be there and send a message of his own. Even as a rookie, he has been a big spark for this team and if Laviolette feels like his team is being pushed around, he could decide to put Rempe back into the lineup and see if that changes how the Panthers play, knowing the Rangers have a big, tough guy of their own.
A reason why he might not get into this series is that he wouldn’t see much ice time after the first two periods. During the games he has played in these playoffs, he would rarely, if ever, see a shift in the third period and the Rangers would rotate 11 forwards. This is not ideal against a team like the Panthers who like to wear down their opponents and it would cause the Rangers’ more important players to play more minutes and potentially risk getting injured. If Laviolette wants to maximize his lineup, Rempe will likely not get time in this series.
The Rangers’ forward group is as healthy as they have been all season long. They have many options they can choose from as this series goes along and the players mentioned above all bring different aspects to the lineup. The Rangers have a very deep forward group and that could be a key to victory against a team like the Panthers. They can mix and match their bottom six and see what works and what doesn’t, and they have other options to choose from if something isn’t working or if a player gets injured. It should be something fans keep an eye on as this series goes along.
