Ranger rookie Skjei is ‘D’ man
PITTSBURGH — Brady Skjei sprouted from a green rookie in his NHL playoff debut to a Rangers bedrock on the back end in just two games.
Skjei, 22, logged the second most ice time of all Blueshirts defensemen in the third period of Saturday afternoon’s 4-2 Game 2 win, trusted by coach Alain Vigneault to protect a two-goal lead the final 14 minutes in the absences of captain Ryan McDonagh (right hand) and Dan Girardi (injury).
“I love this playoff hockey style,” Skjei said. “I think for any player when you play more, you get into the game. To be out there at the end, it feels good.”
Skjei, the team’s 2012 first-round pick, spent most of the season in the AHL in Hartford. He played in just seven regularseason games for Rangers. Saturday, he recorded his first career NHL point, regular season or playoffs, a secondary assist on Derick Brassard’s go-ahead goal for a 2-1 lead at 12:56 of the second period.
But Skjei’s skating, strength and poise were most noteworthy: The moment wasn’t too big for him.
Staal (10:28) carried by far the heaviest third-period load with Kevin Klein and Keith Yandle in the penalty box for stretches. But Skjei logged 6:54 of his 19:02 of ice time dutifully.
Rookie Dylan McIlrath (9:07 total ice time) predictably fell out of Vigneault’s third-period rotation (2:12) in his NHL playoff debut. But McIlrath did steady after a nervous first couple shifts.
Skjei was speared in the stomach by Pens forward Evgeni Malkin in the third period, when the officials put the whistles away for several Pittsburgh infractions. But Skjei embraced the physical element of what several Rangers called an “emotional” game. “We need to be physical all series especially on their top guys and make them think twice maybe before going into the corners and get in the back of their minds a little bit,” Skjei said. AP; RANGERS VIA TWITTER