Rangers finally return to ice, set to face Panthers in Florida

SUNRISE, Fla. – The post-Christmas schedule began a couple days later than it was supposed to for the Rangers, and, come to think of it, the pre-Christmas schedule ended a little early, too. So, when they finally got back in action Wednesday night, taking on the Florida Panthers at FLA Live Arena, things kind of had the feel of something of a restart for Gerard Gallant’s team.

"It really feels like a restart,’’ Gallant said after the Rangers’ optional morning skate Wednesday. "It's been, I don't know what it is, 10, 11 days since we played a game? It feels like a long time. So yeah, it feels different.’’

The Rangers last played a game Dec. 17, when they lost to Gallant’s former team, the Vegas Golden Knights, 3-2, in a shootout at Madison Square Garden. Their last game before the Christmas break, against the Montreal Canadiens, Dec. 22, and their first game after it, Monday against the Detroit Red Wings, were both postponed by the NHL for COVID-19 reasons.

So the Rangers put their 19-7-4 record on the line against Florida(18-7-4) which hadn’t played since Dec. 16. The Panthers were shut down in the days before the break because they had seven players in COVID protocol, but all of those players were back, and the Panthers were close to full strength Wednesday.

The Rangers, though, were missing key defenseman Ryan Lindgren and fourth-line forward/first-pair penalty killer Kevin Rooney, who were in COVID protocol.

"He's done a tremendous job for us this year,’’ defenseman K’Andre Miller said of Lindgren. "He’s been reliable in all situations, so obviously we're taking a hit on defense tonight. But there's some really good guys stepping up into those positions to fill.’’

Spare forward Greg McKegg took Rooney’s spot on the fourth line and on the penalty kill, while Libor Hajek – who sat out the first 26 games of the season as either a healthy scratch or while down on conditioning duty with the Rangers’ AHL affiliate in Hartford – was slotted in Lindgren’s place on defense, partnering with Adam Fox.

"He's played really well the last three or four games that he's played, so we're happy to have him, and he gets an opportunity,’’ Gallant said of Hajek. "So, just another opportunity for somebody else to step in and do the job until Lindy gets back.’’

Hajek was mostly a regular for the Rangers last season, playing 44 of the team’s 56 games and accounting for two goals, two assists and 10 penalty minutes. But he started this season as the eighth defenseman, kept on the roster and unable to even be sent to the minor leagues as the Rangers feared losing him on waivers if they tried to send him down.

He finally was called upon to play Dec. 12, when rookie Nils Lundkvist was unable to play because of a non-COVID illness. Jarred Tinordi, the seventh defenseman, was in Hartford on a conditioning stint, so Hajek got his chance, and he played four straight games and played well enough that Gallant opted to partner him with Fox Wednesday.

Putting Hajek in the top four, rather than, say, elevating third-pair veteran Patrik Nemeth was the easiest move to make, Gallant said, but Hajek, who had no points and two penalty minutes in an average 12:42 of ice time entering Wednesday, earned the assignment, too, he said.

"He deserves a chance,’’ Gallant said. "K’Andre and Troubs have been a great pair for us, so we’ll leave that alone. The other guys, Nils and Nemo, have played together, so we’ll leave that alone. You don’t want to mess up three pairs when you don’t have to.’’

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

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.