Rangers' Filip Chytil trying to find his groove again after dealing with injuries

Nikolas Matinpalo #33 of the Ottawa Senators defends a shot attempt during the first period against Filip Chytil #72 of the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. Credit: Jim McIsaac
He was the hottest player on the Rangers when an upper-body injury — not a concussion, he said — caused him to miss two games a couple of weeks ago. For Filip Chytil, it is an old story.
The 25-year-old Czech was back at it Thursday as the Rangers played the Philadelphia Flyers at Madison Square Garden, trying to work his way into a positive groove.
“I’m just trying to find it again,’’ Chytil said at the Rangers’ well-attended optional skate at the Garden. “And it sucks because it’s happened too many times my career that I was playing good, and also the production was there, and then I got hurt. Now it was just two games, but it still just gets you out of the rhythm.’’
Chytil had been on a four-game point streak with four goals and an assist before leaving the Jan. 7 game against Dallas late in the second period with what the Rangers said was an upper-body injury.
He missed the next two games, returning for the Jan. 14 game in Colorado, but was held to one assist in the five games before Thursday. He had another assist, but it was wiped off the board by a coach’s challenge that took away a goal by Arthur Kaliyev in Tuesday’s 5-0 win over Ottawa. Chytil also hit the goalpost on a third-period shot in Sunday’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Canadiens.
“The game is there,’’ Chytil said. “How I played before, it’s still the same. But, you know, a lot of posts right now, a lot of chances which goalie makes a save, or whatever. Or it’s some goals are taken away. So sometimes it’s hard for the head, you know? But I’ve said many times, it’s making me stronger from previous years, because I went through this couple of times and it’s not very easy. But I have to just find this production again and keep playing the same way.’’
Chytil entered Thursday with 10 goals and eight assists in 38 games. The line of Chytil at center between wingers Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko was the Rangers’ most effective at the start of the season before an inadvertent collision with teammate K’Andre Miller in a game against San Jose on Nov. 14 kept him out of the next seven games with an upper-body injury.
After Kakko was traded to Seattle on Dec. 18, the line of Cuylle, Chytil and rookie Brett Berard had some good moments, but when Chytil got hurt again, Berard was returned to AHL Hartford. When Chytil returned, he found himself with linemates Chris Kreider and newcomer Kaliyev. That line has looked promising the last few games, with Kaliyev scoring his first two goals as a Ranger on this new line.
“Having Fil back and Chris back has been really good,’’ coach Peter Laviolette said. “It’s been a positive to get that depth and balance inside the lineup.’’
Chytil said it has been a little bit of an adjustment playing with Kreider and Kaliyev after spending most of the season with Cuylle and his longtime linemate, Kakko, on his wings. He said he mostly tries to play his own game regardless of who his linemates are. That means trying to drive the play by using his speed to skate the puck up the ice from the defensive zone into the offensive zone and shooting when he gets a sight of the goal.
Kreider, who himself did a recent stint on injured reserve because of an upper-body injury, noted that he has played with Chytil “on and off since he was 18.’’ Asked how he’s seen Chytil change over that time, Kreider joked, “His English has gotten better, in some ways.’’
Kreider was asked how it is for him now, at 33, being the old guy on the line with Chytil and Kaliyev, 23.
“Nah, I’m not the old guy,’’ he quipped. “I’m still the fastest guy on my line, even if Fil doesn’t believe it.’’
Notes & quotes: Igor Shesterkin, coming off two straight shutouts and carrying a shutout string of 164 minutes and three seconds, got the start in goal . . . D Zac Jones and forwards Jonny Brodzinski and Jimmy Vesey remained the healthy scratches.
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