After slow start, Rangers rookie Alexis Lafreniere is happy with his recent play

With a goal and two assists in his last four games, Alexis Lafreniere is starting to show Rangers fans what they expected when he was drafted first overall in October.

He’s seeing it, too.

"I think I like the way I’ve played recently," Lafreniere said after practice on Monday. "I had not the best start, I would say, but I’m getting more comfortable out there. I’m making more plays, so just keep working hard in practices and games. Like I said, I’m getting more comfortable, and that’s positive for me."

After scoring his second career goal on Feb. 20, the 19-year-old Lafreniere had assists in each of the last two games.

"Just making a lot more plays, I would say," he said. "Skating more with the puck. The first couple of games, I wasn’t making that much plays. I think I’m getting better right now. So just more confident with the puck on my stick and I think as an offensive player, that’s what really you’re looking for."

Lafreniere skated in practice with linemates Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich on Monday.

"For sure, we’re building chemistry," he said. "I think we’ll still be getting better. Still a lot to try to figure out sometimes on the ice, but the more you play with people, I think it’s going to help us, for sure."

Lafreniere said he is leaning on his veteran teammates to learn how to be an NHL player and also is keeping in daily contact with his family in Quebec.

"We have a lot of great older guys," he said, "and you try to see what they’re doing on and off the ice to get better as a player, but as an individual, too. Talking to my parents almost every day, either on the phone or texting them. They can’t come this year to watch me, but I’ll see them soon."

Said coach David Quinn: "The great news about it for all of us is that he’s always going out of his way to improve. It certainly makes it easier from a coaching standpoint to help a player that wants to get better. He’s very coachable. He wants to learn. He’s a guy that understands how important he is to us.

"He and I talked a little bit — today, this morning — and just talked about sometimes the problem with the situation that he’s in is we’re trying to have a 19-year-old play like a 24-year-old because he plays important minutes, and that demands a lot. We’re demanding a lot from a 19-year-old and sometimes it can be unrealistic."  

Blue notes

Quinn said he was "excited" to report that Filip Chytil has a "good chance" to play on Tuesday against Buffalo. Chytil, who has missed four weeks with a broken hand, will be a game-time decision. On Monday, he skated with Kevin Rooney and Julien Gauthier . . . Anthony Bitetto, the defenseman from Island Park, has a lower-body injury, Quinn said, which explains why he was scratched the past two games. Bitetto is day-to-day.

By Anthony Rieber

anthony.rieber@newsday.comAnthonyRieber

Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.