Gerard Gallant turns the page after Rangers' no-show loss on Friday
Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant gives instructions during the first period of an NHL game against the Penguins in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, March 29, 2022. Credit: AP/Gene J. Puskar
GREENBURGH, N.Y. – Gerard Gallant clearly was upset at his team’s embarrassing no-show in Friday night’s 3-0 loss to the Islanders at the Garden, calling the team’s performance “horse [expletive]’’ after the game.
On Saturday, though, by the time he met with the media after practice, Gallant was in full turn-the-page mode. Move along, folks, there’s nothing to see here.
“I don't want to talk about last night,’’ the coach said. “Last night we talked about it briefly. I told you what I thought. So we're going to talk about Philly, if you’ve got any questions about Philly.’’
The Rangers (44-20-5) host the stripped-down Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday, and they’ll be looking to get back on the winning track and continue their march to their first playoff berth in five years.
Defenseman Adam Fox expects the Rangers’ effort will be better against the Flyers, who traded their captain, Claude Giroux, to the Florida Panthers at the March 21 trade deadline, and who were 21-35-11 before Saturday’s game against Toronto.
“I think we've done a good job all year of responding after games [where] we haven't brought our best effort,’’ Fox said. “We haven't really strung together too many bad efforts in a row. So [Friday’s game is] just another one that you kind of throw away and move on to the game tomorrow.’’
The Rangers, who had won four in a row and 8 of 10 before Friday’s loss, could be getting center Ryan Strome back for Sunday’s game. Strome, who has missed the last three games (plus two periods) with a lower-body injury, practiced with the team Saturday and if he came out of that OK, he would figure to be back in the lineup Sunday.
Gallant did make a tweak in the lines at practice Saturday: Julien Gauthier, who has been a healthy scratch for the last nine games, looked to be re-installed on the third line with Filip Chytil and Alexis Lafreniere. Barclay Goodrow dropped to the fourth line, centering Tyler Motte and Ryan Reaves. Jonny Brodzinski was skating on the second line with Artemi Panarin and Andrew Copp, though Strome would likely step in for Brodzinski if he is able to play.
And Gallant hinted that defenseman Justin Braun, who the Rangers acquired from Philadelphia at the trade deadline, may be in the lineup against his old team after sitting out the last five games.
“We'll see,’’ he said of Braun. “I'm not going to tell you, but you could probably figure it out.’’
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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