Rangers' Filip Chytil deemed 'game-time decision' due to illness; could miss Game 4
RALEIGH, N.C. - Filip Chytil's feel-good comeback story might be ending after only one game.
The 24-year-old forward, who missed all but 10 games this season due to a suspected concussion on Nov. 2 and setback on Jan. 26, made an emotional return to the Rangers' lineup in Thursday's 3-2 overtime win in Game 3 of their second-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes.
He played the full game, logging 12:02 time on ice and then declaring, "I feel great. I feel unbelievable. That's the adrenaline that I needed."
But Chytil was absent for Saturday's morning skate at PNC Arena in advance of Game 4, which is set to begin just after 7 p.m. The team announced it as an illness, with head coach Peter Laviolette calling him "a game-time decision."
"He felt great (Friday), went to the team meal," Laviolette noted. "Woke up this morning and didn’t feel well."
The fear, of course, is that the illness could be related to the injury that kept him out for over six months. Laviolette did not answer directly when asked about that possibility, which, fair or not, will lead to further speculation among fans.
There is an understandable sense of high alert surrounding Chytil, who has a history of concussions that have seemingly made him more susceptible to future occurrences.
The hope is that he's experiencing a common cold, stomach bug or other kind of standard ailment. But there are certain symptoms associated with head injuries that could be interpreted as illness, such as headaches, nausea or sensitivity to light.
Game 4 lineup: Rangers 'calm confidence' has spurred playoff success
All signs at the morning skate were pointing to the Czech forward sitting out for Game 4.
Rookie Will Cuylle moved up to the left-wing spot on the third line where Chytil played Thursday, with Jonny Brodzinski backfilling on the fourth line. The latter came off the ice around the same time as the rest of the Rangers' lineup regulars, yet another indication that he's expecting to play Saturday.
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: Rangers' Filip Chytil deemed 'game-time decision' due to illness
