Rangers' Braden Schneider brings fighting spirit in return

NEWARK – Rangers rookie Braden Schneider, returning to the lineup Tuesday night against the Devils after sitting out Sunday’s shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, may have provided the turning point of the Rangers’ 3-1 win over New Jersey when he landed a big hit on Jesper Boqvist midway through the first period, and then battered Devils forward Yegor Sharangovich in a subsequent fight.

“I wouldn't say the fight, I'd say the hit’’ changed the game’s momentum, Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said. “It was good solid hit. He stepped up in the neutral zone, and obviously we got the power play goal off that, so that was huge for us. (That added) a little emotion in the game.’’

Sharangovich got an instigator penalty for starting the fight with Schneider after the hit on Boqvist, and to make matters worse for the Devils, he apparently suffered some kind of injury in the fight and didn’t return. In the second period, Devils forward Jimmy Vesey, the ex-Ranger, suffered a left leg injury after checking Schneider into the boards and bouncing off. He didn’t return, either.

Kakko, Rooney updates

Rangers coach Gerard Gallant had no update on injured forwards Kaapo Kakko and Kevin Rooney, who remain on injured reserve with upper body injuries.

“They're skating, obviously they're real close,’’ Gallant said. “But again, the doctors control that, not me. I was hoping they (would have been) back two weeks ago. But we'll be patient, make sure they're ready.’’

Blue shorts

Forwards Ryan Reaves, Greg McKegg and Julien Gauthier, and Ds Patrik Nemeth and Libor Hajek were scratched. Reaves, McKegg and Hajek did not participate in the team’s morning skate in Newark, but skated on their own at the team’s Greenburgh, N.Y. practice facility.

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.