Rangers place Filip Chytil on IR with upper-body injury, recall Greg McKegg from Hartford
Filip Chytil of the Rangers warms up prior to playing against the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Oct. 18, 2021 in Toronto. Credit: Getty Images/Claus Andersen
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Before their 5-3 victory over the Blue Jackets on Saturday, the Rangers placed third-line center Filip Chytil on injured reserve with an upper-body injury and recalled center Greg McKegg from AHL Hartford.
Chytil was hurt in the Nov. 6 game in Calgary when he collided with teammate Sammy Blais and missed Monday’s 4-3 win over Florida at the Garden. He skated on his own Thursday and Friday but did not travel with the team to Ohio.
His stint on IR is backdated to Sunday, the day after his last game. He must be inactive seven days from last Sunday, meaning he will be eligible to return whenever the Rangers deem him ready.
McKegg was recalled a week after being reassigned to Hartford following an eight-game stint with the Rangers. McKegg and Jarred Tinordi were the healthy scratches on Saturday.
Gallant changes tune
At the morning skate, Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said that unlike previous back-to-back sets this season, he is not committed to splitting the games between his two goalies, Igor Shesterkin and Alexandar Georgiev. With Shesterkin getting the start Saturday night, that means he could start again Sunday when the Rangers host the Devils.
Shesterkin made 31 saves before being leaving Saturday’s game with 6:45 remaining after being run over by Columbus forward Alexandre Texier. Gallant said after the game that Shesterkin is OK and still is a candidate to start Sunday.
If he does get the start, it will be the second time in his NHL career that Shesterkin has started back-to-back games. He did it against the Hurricanes and Sharks on Feb. 21 and 22, 2020, won both games and made 44 saves on 46 shots in Game 2.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
