Chytil proves worthy of spot on Broadway
IF THIS one night was a referendum on whether Filip Chytil merits remaining on Broadway, New York, rather than being sent to Civic Center Plaza, Hartford, to serve an apprenticeship, then the 19-year-old gave the Rangers every reason to stick with him. For in this emotionally charged 5-3 victory over the Canadiens on Tuesday at the Garden that raised the echoes of the best of the bygone era and extended the surprising 7-7-1 Blueshirts’ winning streak to four games, the kid was more than just all right. “I think when you’re 19, you’re always fighting for a spot,” David Quinn said after his team rallied from 3-1 down early in the second to take it going away by striking three times in the third period against Carey Price. “But he’s a heck of a player with a lot of talent.” Chytil’s hold on a roster spot seemed more tenuous than ever entering the match. His ice time over the previous five games had dwindled to 10:01 per as opposed to the 14:01 he had gotten over the first nine matches. He barely was able to get off the bench the final 10-12 minutes of the third period while primarily playing between Cody McLeod and Vinni Lettieri on a mismatched fourth line. Plus, the Blueshirts had recalled Lias Andersson from the AHL Wolf Pack, crowding even more so a lineup replete with centers, even if for this one — and expected to be this one, only — the team operated without the injured Brett Howden.
But from the get-go, Chytil had get up and go. He controlled the puck, he set the tempo, he created scoring chances for himself. His 4:18 in the period was a quality 4:18. To paraphrase Jack — Jack! Rose! Jack! Rose! — before Titanic went down, it was about making it count for No. 72.
“If I play more, I have more confidence, but that’s the same for every player,” the affable Czech said. “I feel the more I play, the better I play, but even if I don’t play, I’m watching and learning.”
Circumstances including a parade to the penalty box in a tumultuous second period during which the Canadiens put the old Penguins to shame with a display of embellishment that continued through to the final buzzer kept Chytil on the bench for all but 2:17 in the period. Fact is, he had one shift over the final 11:15.
“That frustrated me when I looked at the kid’s minutes,” Quinn said. “I wanted to play him.”
And so in the third period, Quinn awarded Chytil with 4:43 of important-time minutes that included 2:00 on the power play. And again, the young man responded with spirited play in a game that was pretty darn contentious.
“There was a long time between shifts,” said Chtyil, who earned his 11:18. “But always when I jump onto the ice, I play hard.”
Quinn sure didn’t think the Rangers played hard enough over the first 40 minutes. “He got angry,” Marc Staal said before the coach himself talked about how the team hadn’t been nearly physical enough through the first two periods. The coach got angry, the Rangers were fueled with emotion and gave every bit as good as they got in roaring back for the victory.
“We’re learning,” said Henrik Lundqvist, outstanding yet again while repeatedly fending off encroaching Canadiens. “But it’s more fun to learn when you’re winning.”
Before the season commenced, it appeared as if the Rangers didn’t have enough players. Now, Quinn has too many forwards to fit into his top nine. Well, there are obviously never too many, but the de- manding first-year coach has accepted the challenge of trying to develop the young guns while placing a priority in winning.
And there are decisions forthcoming. When Howden returns, likely for Friday’s match in Detroit, he will resume his role as third-line center. This means that Quinn will have to come up with the way to satisfy the needs of both Chytil and Andersson, the latter of whom took a pair of high-sticking penalties, but was involved all night through 12:17 of ice.
This has been apparent and a significant topic of conversation for months, but the center situation presents a conundrum for Quinn, general manager Jeff Gorton and the organization. Everyone wants to develop the kids, but Kevin Hayes is playing the best hockey of his career in making the case for an extension rather than a trade and Mika Zibanejad has been right there with No. 13. Toss in Howden’s explosion out of the gate, and finding enough ice time for everyone gets tricky.
But in the world of the Rangers, this is a problem that is welcome. The team that didn’t seem to have enough players has more than enough. And Chytil appears to be one of them. Good night on Broadway.