The Rangers have been blessed since Adam Fox was delivered into their arms through an immaculate conception for the 2019-20 season. They have benefitted from the defenseman’s uncommon instinct, intelligence and talent at both ends of the ice.
And they have benefitted from Fox’s endurance and ability to remain healthy. Uncommonly healthy, in fact, No. 23 having missed a total of three games to injury (and one more after being placed in COVID protocol) throughout the first four seasons of his career.
Three!
Now, though, there will likely be more. And it could be a lot more in the aftermath of Fox taking a leg-on-leg hit from Carolina’s Sebastian Aho across the Canes’ line with just over 5:30 remaining in the first period that kayoed him from Thursday’s match at the Garden.
Fox and Filip Chytil, who left the contest for good late in the second period with an unidentified upper-body injury well after a first collision with Jesper Fast, will both be evaluated on Friday, according to head coach Peter Laviolette.
There is a lot to like about these Rangers, who overcame these key absences to extend their winning streak to six games with this 2-1 victory off Will Cuylle’s tie-breaking wrist shot from the slot at 10:21 of the third period. Ten games in with an 8-2 record, you like the club’s resilience, its discipline, its goaltending, attention to detail and ability to grind.
What you probably don’t exactly love is the club’s depth. You will likely get the chance now if either Fox or Chytil — or both — are sidelined for longer than a short stretch. Now perhaps you remember how nobody but nobody felt sympathy for the Avalanche when they lost Cale Makar for a long stretch last season.
The Rangers did their utmost in this one, though, indeed saving their best 20 minutes for their last 20 minutes when more time was given to defensemen Braden Schneider and Erik Gustafsson and more time up front was doled out to presumptive fourth-liners Jimmy Vesey, Barclay Goodrow and Nick Bonino.
Goodrow shifted from the left side of the fourth unit to center third-line wingers Cuylle and Blake Wheeler while Vincent Trocheck took Chytil’s spot between Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere. Vesey used his stick to deflect a pass into the stands with Carolina pressing in the final minute with the extra attacker. Bonino and Goodrow were on for the final shift.
If, as seems likely, Fox is down for a while, Zac Jones will get his shot after having been scratched for nine of the first 10 games. Laviolette could well pair Schneider with Ryan Lindgren while the Trouba-K’Andre Miller tandem remains intact and Jones skates with Gustafsson.
It’s not ideal, but it’s hockey.
In a low-event game, the Rangers were eventful enough to claim another victory. They responded in this match in which referees Steve Kozari and TJ Luxmore seemed to be wearing Candy Cane-colored lenses, with two obvious high sticks across Blueshirt faces ignored or missed, just as was Aho’s hit. They amped up their energy level in what had been a low-energy contest.
Trouba wanted a piece of Aho, of course he did. There was more than one occasion on which the captain attempted to engage the Carolina center. But Aho wanted no part of it. He wanted no part of Trouba.
“I have to fight every time I do something so I figured he should probably have to answer for it, too,” said Trouba, who played 17:56 over the final two periods for a team high 24:56. “He didn’t feel that way … not with just me, with everybody.”
The Rangers have had all sorts of trouble generating five-on-five offense. They scored 2:41 into the match on Chris Kreider’s sixth power-play goal — and seventh, overall — of the year for a 1-0 lead that the Canes negated with a PPG of their own at 9:53. The Blueshirts entered the third period tied, without two of their most important players, and in trouble.
So they responded by pressing the issue, by playing in the Carolina zone, even as their power play went dry with Gustafsson replacing Fox on the point. They responded with their best period of the night under their most adverse conditions.
The Rangers have played four one-goal games, the last three consecutively. They have won them all, this one in the third period after a pair in overtime. There has been a lot to like thus far. Now we’ll get a chance to see about their depth.
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