Filip Chytil goes from being a healthy scratch to scoring game-winner
Filip Chytil of the Rangers celebrates his second-period goal against the Devils at Madison Square Garden on Friday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Rangers forward Filip Chytil wasn’t happy about being scratched for two straight games last weekend after missing a game last week because he was "under the weather,’’ according to coach Gerard Gallant.
"Of course when you’re not playing, why should I be happy?’’ Chytil said after the Rangers’ 3-1 win over the Devils on Friday at Madison Square Garden.
Chytil scored what proved to be the winning goal, banging home a pass from Ryan Lindgren at 8:57 of the second period to break a 1-1 tie.
"Every game that I play, every shift, the passion for hockey,’’ he said. "For every shift I can be on the ice, I give everything what is inside of me. And when I didn’t play, I just worked hard. I was in the gym every day. I was working on the ice, same as I do all the time. But in the time where I didn’t play, I just worked harder. And I had a couple of good practices and I’m back in the lineup.’’
Chytil called for Lindgren to drop the puck to him on the play in which he scored.
"Usually we have a play that we have to drive the net, the middle guy,’’ he said. "But the defender was a little lower, so I just yelled at Lindy, ‘Give me the puck!’ "
Good week for Brodzinski
On Monday, Jonny Brodzinski signed a two-year contract extension with the Rangers. The next day, he got called up from AHL Hartford. On Friday, he was in the lineup against the Devils, replacing the injured Kevin Rooney. Brodzinski had one shot on goal in 9:28.
Blue notes
Rooney, who is on injured reserve with an upper-body injury — he took a stick to the face in Wednesday’s game against St. Louis — will not go with the Rangers on their four-game trip, Gallant said . . . Forward Greg McKegg, who had played in 26 consecutive games, was a late scratch because he was sick, Gallant said . . . D Libor Hajek (for the eighth straight game) and forward Tim Gettinger, who was called up from Hartford to take Rooney’s roster spot, were the other scratches.
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.
