Rangers tweak Kid Line in attempt to spark offense
Antti Raanta #32 of the Carolina Hurricanes makes the first period save as Alexis Lafreniere #13 of the New York Rangers looks for the rebound in Game Two of the Second Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PNC Arena on May 20, 2022 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Credit: Getty Images/Bruce Bennett
RALEIGH, N.C. — The thought had been there for Gerard Gallant.
The Kid Line of Filip Chytil between Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko had been the Rangers’ most consistent trio during the playoffs. But the coach had to consider whether to shuffle his lines in order to spark some offense out of his other forwards.
Gallant resisted until the start of the third period of the Rangers’ 2-0 loss to the Hurricanes in Game 2 of their second-round series on Friday night at PNC Arena.
Lafreniere was put on Ryan Strome’s line with Artemi Panarin while Andrew Copp joined Chytil and Kakko.
“I’m trying to get a goal,” Gallant said shortly after refuting a suggestion that there is a disconnect with the Rangers’ offense.
Before Game 2, Gallant acknowledged he was leery of messing with the chemistry Chytil, 22, Lafreniere, 20, and Kakko, 21, have created.
“We think about that every day as coaches when you have one of your lines going real well,” Gallant said. “The Kid Line is going. You move them up and down and then you mess up what was good. I’m sure every coach in the playoffs right now is doing the same thing.”
But each had only one shot in Game 2. Lafreniere also had two shots blocked and both Chytil and Kakko had one shot blocked.
Panarin did not have a shot on goal, though he had one shot blocked and two miss the net. Top-liner Chris Kreider also went without a shot on goal, though he had two shots blocked and one miss.
More physical
The Rangers and Hurricanes were called for five penalties apiece as they combined for 22 penalty minutes in Game 2. Game 1 featured only one minor penalty for each team, both in the first period.
The teams skated four-on-four twice in the first period but the Rangers generated only two shots even with the open ice. The Rangers also had 49 seconds of four-on-three time but could not generate a shot. They had two shots skating five-on-four.
“Give them credit,” defenseman Jacob Trouba said. “They’re aggressive. They force the plays. It’s not going to look pretty all the time. They pressure pretty hard.”
Blue notes
Sammy Blais (right ACL) skated for a third straight day but still was in a non-contact jersey . . . The Rangers won 27 of 62 faceoffs (44.0%) after the Hurricanes won 17 of the game’s first 25 faceoffs . . . Defenseman Ryan Lindgren, who is playing through what is believed to be a lower-body injury, missed about five minutes in the first period after his bottom lip was bloodied . . . Before Sunday’s Game 3, fans will be able to take a photo with the Stanley Cup at the NHL Shop on Ninth Avenue near the Garden from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
