Game 2 lineup: Chytil up? Kakko out? Rempe in? Here's where Rangers may be leaning
TARRYTOWN - Hot takes about what the Rangers should do with their Game 2 lineup have been flying for nearly 48 hours, with former team captain Mark Messier among the vocal critics calling for polarizing rookie Matt Rempe to play.
In case you were wondering, head coach Peter Laviolette doesn't seem to care.
"It does not," he said with a hint of a smile when asked if those opinions have any influence on his thought process. "Any decision that I make is based on the conversations that we have as a group internally."
While the debate rages, Laviolette is keeping those decisions behind closed doors.
He's declined to reveal his lineup choices to the media and took the additional step of masking combinations at Friday's morning skate, adding intrigue in the lead-up to 8 p.m. puck drop against the Florida Panthers at Madison Square Garden.
There were a few hints, with Filip Chytil wearing the same blue jersey as top-liners Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad while trade-deadline addition Jack Roslovic dropped down to bottom-six group. And then there was Rempe and Kaapo Kakko staying on the ice a bit later than the rest of the regulars, but also coming off before the known healthy scratches.
The simple math says that one of those two can't play in Game 2 of this Eastern Conference Final, but then again, Laviolette has pulled the old switch-a-roo a few times already in these playoffs.
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"I don’t know if it adds pressure," Kakko said about the lineup crunch. "Everyone is just trying to be their best, and then we’ll see. It’s coach’s choice what's going to be the best lineup. Everyone wants to win. That's the goal for all of us."
Scratching Kakko would certainly make headlines and come with legitimate questions.
The last time that happened was Game 6 of the 2022 Eastern Conference Final, which the Rangers lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning to end their season.
Two years later, the No. 2 overall pick from the 2019 NHL Draft could be in the crosshairs again.
On one hand, Kakko's 59.88% xGF leads all New York skaters in these playoffs, according to Evolving Hockey, and has been on ice for just two goals against through 11 games. But he's also only tallied a goal and an assist in that span, making his line − which has exclusively featured Alex Wennberg at center, while Chytil and Will Cuylle have both been used on the opposite wing − a bit of a conundrum.
"I heard about the numbers," Kakko said of the positive analytics. "Somebody told me, but I'm not looking at those. I feel we're getting chances and spending some time in the (offensive) zone, not giving up too many chances against. That's playoff hockey, but you still need to score sometimes. We've been hitting posts sometimes and it's close, but still not there. Hopefully, more goals are coming, but I'm still happy about our game."
Laviolette acknowledged "I'd like to see Kaapo generate more production," then quickly threw Wennberg in the same boat, adding, "I don't know if you isolate one."
But scratching Kakko would come across as an isolating move − at least as far as the public perception goes, particularly with the 23-year-old due for a new contract this summer. Doing so would signal a lack of confidence in a player who was once considered a future cornerstone of the franchise and possibly set the stage for an offseason divorce.
Is he really more deserving of being ousted than any other bottom-sixer? And does Laviolette see enough benefit in adding Rempe to make such a controversial decision?
He's played the 6-foot-8 bruiser in seven of 11 playoff games so far, but has been reluctant to use him on the road or late in close games. The result is a team-low average of 6:18 time on ice, with obvious situational limitations and an ever-present risk of penalties.
Coming off a game in which the Rangers were shutout by the smothering Panthers, it seems finding ways to score should be the priority. And even with his underwhelming output, there's no question that Kakko has higher offensive upside than Rempe. But as one former player told lohud.com, part of the USA TODAY Network, the need for a heavier forecheck and net-front presence was apparent in Wednesday's 3-0 Game 1 loss.
Rempe might be able to help there, although it will take a lot more than five or six minutes from the 21-year-old to establish that identity against one of the NHL's best defensive teams. That's why, even if he does re-enter, portraying him as some kind of savior feels phony − and unfair.
It's easy to call for perceived quick fixes from a distance, but the reality is that the Rangers' fate rests in the hands of players further up in the lineup.
"It’s not necessarily about if there's a move or not a move," Laviolette said. "If you make a move, you make a move, but I think we’ve got to look at the bigger picture and look at getting better on the ice."
NY Rangers (8-3) projected lineup: Game 2, Eastern Conference Final, vs. Florida Panthers (9-3)
When: Friday, May 24 at 8 p.m.
Where: Madison Square Garden
TV/Radio: ESPN/98.7 FM
Forwards
Top line ⊳ Chris Kreider (LW) ⋄ Mika Zibanejad (C) ⋄ Filip Chytil (RW)
Second line ⊳ Artemi Panarin (LW) ⋄ Vincent Trocheck (C) ⋄ Alexis Lafrenière (RW)
Third line ⊳ Jimmy Vesey (LW) ⋄ Alex Wennberg (C) ⋄ Jack Roslovic (RW)
Fourth line ⊳ Will Cuylle (LW) ⋄ Barclay Goodrow (C) ⋄ Matt Rempe (RW)
Defensemen
Top pair ⊳ Ryan Lindgren (L) ⋄ Adam Fox (R)
Second pair ⊳ K'Andre Miller (L) ⋄ Jacob Trouba (R)
Third pair ⊳ Erik Gustafsson (L) ⋄ Braden Schneider (R)
Goalies
Starter ⊳ Igor Shesterkin
Backup ⊳ Jonathan Quick
Healthy scratches: F Jonny Brodzinski, G Louis Domingue, F Adam Edström, D Zac Jones, F Kaapo Kakko, D Chad Ruhwedel and F Blake Wheeler
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Game 2 lineup: Chytil up? Kakko out? Rempe in? Rangers weigh decisions
