Game 5 lineup: Rangers' Filip Chytil returns from illness but unlikely to play
TARRYTOWN - After missing the Rangers' 4-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4 of their second-round series on Saturday due to illness, it was a sigh of relief to see Filip Chytil return to the ice for Monday's morning skate at the MSG Training Center.
That alleviated some concern that him not feeling well was related to his history of concussions, which has already cost him over six months this season, but he may not be completely out of the woods with whatever it is he's dealing with.
All signs in advance of Game 5, which will be played at 7 p.m. at Madison Square Garden, are that the 24-year-old Czech will not be a part of Monday's lineup. He did not skate with any of the Rangers' regular forward lines and stayed on late to do bag skates with the rest of the expected scratches.
Game 4 takeaways: Rangers miss out on chance for record-setting sweep
Head coach Peter Laviolette has remained vague about Chytil's status and the specifics of his illness, but sound encouraged about seeing him back on the ice.
"He practiced this morning," Laviolette said. "That's a real positive thing for our team. I’m going to keep any lineup decisions that I make to myself."
Chytil didn't skate with any of New York's four lines in advance of his return for Game 3 on Thursday, either, leaving open the possibility that the Rangers are once again hiding their plans from the back-against-the-wall Hurricanes, who trail 3-1 in the series. But a key difference is that he didn't stay on as late for extra work with the reserves that day, whereas he was still skating with them as the media left the locker room Monday morning.
On the other hand, Jonny Brodzinski and Matt Rempe each came off early with the rest of the regulars, with both likely to take warmups in advance of Game 5. But it was Brodzinski skating at right wing on the fourth line with Jimmy Vesey and Barclay Goodrow, the same spot where he made his 2024 playoff debut on Saturday.
That trio was victimized on Carolina's first goal from Evgeny Kuznetsov, which came directly off a Goodrow giveaway in the neutral zone, but made amends when Goodrow scored to cut the deficit to 3-2 in the second period.
The underlying numbers weren't great, as they were outshot, 4-2, while allowing four high-danger scoring chances without generating any, according to Natural Stat Trick. But Laviolette sounded pleased with their overall effort.
"They did some good things," Laviolette said. "I thought that they got better as the game went on, as well. Jonny's a good skater and a good player. He plays different positions and does different things for us, so I thought it was a good addition."
Brodzinski didn't find out he was playing until the day of Game 4, but credited Laviolette and the coaching staff for keeping all the extra skaters ready.
"It's kind of hard to stay engaged mentally because it's so easy to become detached, just from being out for so long," he said. "But at a moment's notice, Fil gets sick, and then they put me in. Within a couple of hours, it was, ‘Hey, you’re in the lineup.’
"I was ready, just because of these skates. We've been doing a lot of battle drills, one-on-ones, two-on-ones – just game day stuff that we haven't really done in the past. I feel like it's just been extremely helpful and keeps that mental sharpness."
Indications are that Brodzinski will play again Monday, which would represent the third playoff appearance of his career and first ever on home ice. It would also be the second straight game missed for Rempe, who doesn't seem blindsided by the scratches or letting them diminish his usual upbeat demeanor.
"I can't say enough good things about Lavi and how great he's been to me and the opportunities he's given me and how much communication he's having every single day," the 21-year-old rookie said. "I love him. I’d go to war for him every single day. He's the best, and his conversations with me have been great. He’s just telling me, ‘Don't read into it. Don't think too much,' and stuff like that. 'Just keep working.'"
The writing was on the wall for Rempe during the Rangers' 4-3 double-overtime win in Game 2, when he was limited to 4:03 time on ice in five total shifts and didn't leave the bench for the final 49:57 of play.
"I feel like I've been used to my minutes," he said. "I think I've been pretty consistent here. I go as hard as I can every shift. If my shift hasn't been in a while, all the more reason to try and make an impact on your shift. I get my minutes, and I’ve got to make the most of those minutes. I'm super happy to get those minutes. It's an honor to get those minutes."
Rempe got caught on the ice for a couple long defensive-zone shifts in the first two games of this series, which may have influenced Laviolette's decision to move in another direction, as did his concerns about the Canes exposing the raw 6-foot-8 rookie with the benefit of last change at home in Carolina. And while the Rangers − and their fans − love the energy and physicality he brings, there's a constant risk of him being called for penalties.
Part of that seems based on reputation, with a couple shaky calls against him so far in these playoffs. But to his credit, Rempe took the high road when asked about how he's been officiated.
"I got no issue. It is what it is," he said. "They're doing their job. The way I play, refs should be looking at me closer, if I’m being honest. Obviously, you want to stay out of the box. That's a big thing. I don't want to take penalties that hurt the team or anything, but I'm not going to complain about the officials."
Rempe also isn't going to complain about coming out of the lineup, nor is Brodzinski in the event he gets pulled for Chytil or anyone else.
It's one thing for players to say that when they're competing with each other for spots, but that selflessness feels especially genuine with this group.
"Everybody's pulling for everybody here," said Brodzinski, who logged a career-high 57 NHL games this season at 30 years old. "We're more of just all for one right now. We're pushing for something that's more than ourselves. And at the end of the day, if we win a Stanley Cup, I don't think anybody's going to be worried about who was in the lineup and who wasn't. That's the main goal. All these guys, I’ve been playing with them for so long and battling with them for so long that, if they're in and they're having success, I'm happy for them."
NY Rangers (7-1) projected lineup: Game 5, second round, Carolina Hurricanes (5-4)
When: Monday, May 13 at 7 p.m.
Where: Madison Square Garden
TV/Radio: ESPN/98.7 FM
Forwards
Top line ⊳ Chris Kreider (LW) ⋄ Mika Zibanejad (C) ⋄ Jack Roslovic (RW)
Second line ⊳ Artemi Panarin (LW) ⋄ Vincent Trocheck (C) ⋄ Alexis Lafrenière (RW)
Third line ⊳ Will Cuylle (LW) ⋄ Alex Wennberg (C) ⋄ Kaapo Kakko (RW)
Fourth line ⊳ Jimmy Vesey (LW) ⋄ Barclay Goodrow (C) ⋄ Jonny Brodzinski (RW)
Defensemen
Top pair ⊳ Ryan Lindgren (L) ⋄ Adam Fox (R)
Second pair ⊳ K'Andre Miller (L) ⋄ Braden Schneider (R)
Third pair ⊳ Erik Gustafsson (L) ⋄ Jacob Trouba (R)
Goalies
Starter ⊳ Igor Shesterkin
Backup ⊳ Jonathan Quick
Healthy scratches: F Filip Chytil, G Louis Domingue, F Adam Edström, D Zac Jones, F Matt Rempe and D Chad Ruhwedel
Long-term injured reserve: F Blake Wheeler (lower body)
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 5 lineup: Rangers' Filip Chytil returns, but unlikely to play
