After 'amazing' Rangers debut, Anthony Bitetto gets new pairing for second game
Anthony Bitetto of the New York Rangers controls the puck during the third period against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 1, 2021. Credit: Getty Images/Sarah Stier
Growing up as a Rangers fan in Island Park, Anthony Bitetto probably imagined one day playing his first game at the Garden as a member of his favorite team.
There’s no way Bitetto imagined playing it without fans in the stands.
But that’s what happened on Monday when Bitetto made his Rangers debut with 14:51 of ice time in a 3-1 victory over Pittsburgh.
"It’s amazing," Bitetto said after practice on Wednesday. "It was speechless moments — can’t really describe it. My whole life growing up I was nothing but Rangers. Watched Rangers everywhere. So to finally put that jersey on in a real game, it was a special moment. I think not having fans there kind of helped me. I think it would have been a lot to handle. But I’m glad we got the first one out of the way and keep going from there."
The second one will be Thursday night when the Rangers host Washington. Bitetto, who signed a two-year, one-way contract worth $1.475 million in the offseason, was originally paired with Brendan Smith on Monday.
But Smith left in the first period after a collision with Pittsburgh’s Brandon Tanev and will not play on Thursday. Bitetto, 30, will be paired with 22-year-old Libor Hajek, who will be elevated from the taxi squad.
"When I signed here, I wanted to be in that leader role for the young guys," Bitetto said. "I’ve been around long enough now — I’m 30 years old — so I think for me it was a good fit. When you hop in the lineup with a little experience, it’s always good. I felt confident the other night.
"The good thing is we’ve been practicing with everybody for the majority of the time here. So Libor’s someone that we’ve had plenty of time to practice with. We’re both confident. We’re both excited. It’s going to be a good test for not only us, but for the team."
Coach David Quinn has had to shuffle his defensive pairings because of injuries to Smith and Jack Johnson (groin) and Monday’s waiving of Tony DeAngelo after a reported altercation with goaltender Alexandar Georgiev following an overtime loss to the Penguins on Saturday night.
"Libor’s had a tough go of it here the last two years with injuries," Quinn said. "That’s really the reason he’s kind of in the situation he’s in . . . He works hard. He skates. He’s coachable and I’m anxious to see him play because this kid’s a good player. He’s a good NHL player and I’m excited for him to get this opportunity."
Blue notes. Igor Shesterkin will start in goal even though it would have been Georgiev’s turn in Quinn’s rotation plan. "Georgie’s been through a lot the last 48 hours," Quinn said. "Maybe give him another day or two to maybe unwind a little bit and get back into the groove of things." . . . Kaapo Kakko returned to practice after being placed on the COVID-19 list and missing Monday’s game. Forward Jonny Brodzinski was reassigned to Hartford (AHL).
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.
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