Pavel Buchnevich does not take part in Rangers' intrasquad scrimmage
Pavel Buchnevich at Rangers practice on Friday at the MSG Training Center. Credit: Nick Homler/NY Rangers/Nick Homler
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Pavel Buchnevich, who left practice Saturday during the early part of the scrimmage at the end of the workout, did not take part in Sunday’s full team, intrasquad scrimmage. But while coach David Quinn is not, by NHL rule, allowed to divulge any information as to why Buchnevich wasn’t practicing, Quinn was able to convey the message that Buchnevich’s absence won’t be seriously long term.
Asked if the Russian forward’s participation in the NHL restart playoff tournament is in jeopardy, Quinn, choosing his words carefully, replied, “I can say that that is not the case.’’
With the team set to be off on Monday, Sunday was a scrimmage day, with the full squad splitting up to play two 20-minute, stop-time periods. Rookie Kaapo Kakko, the No. 2 pick overall in last summer’s NHL draft, took Buchnevich’s spot on the right wing of the top line, with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. And Kakko, who has had a strong training camp, scored two goals in the scrimmage.
“He's had a really good stretch here, since we got back,’’ Quinn said of Kakko. “He just seems like a different kid. And… as we've talked about, there's a little bit more confidence in his game… that he didn't have before.’’
Blue notes
Julian Gauthier, who the Rangers acquired in a minor-league trade with Carolina in February, took Kakko’s place on the third line, with LW Phil DiGiuseppe and C Filip Chytil. Gauthier also had two goals… Henrik Lundqvist played both halves of the scrimmage, while Igor Shesterkin and Alex Georgiev split time in the other goal. Lundqvist’s blue team won, 5-3, and he stopped a penalty shot by D Libor Hajek… Kakko, Brendan Lemieux, Mika Zibanejad and Brett Howden scored for the blue team; Gauthier and Jesper Fast scored for the white team. Shesterkin allowed two goals and Georgiev allowed three… With Buchnevich unavailable, D Brandon Crawley played LW for the white team… Zibanejad missed a first-half penalty shot against Shesterkin.
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.
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