Rangers back to full health as Chris Kreider, Filip Chytil return to lineup
DENVER — The Rangers returned to full strength in their 3-2 overtime loss to the Avalanche on Tuesday night at Ball Arena.Chris Kreider was activated off injured reserve and reinserted into the lineup, while Filip Chytil also returned after missing the last two games with an unidentified upper-body injury.“They’re moving into a game with a pretty fast-paced clip out there,” head coach Peter Laviolette said of Kreider and Chytil, who skated on a line together with Arthur Kaliyev in the loss.“I thought they came in and gave us some good minutes.
They’ll look to ramp up from here, but guys have been out for quite a few games and not a lot of practice time, either.It’s just good to get them back.”Chytil has had to have an incomparable level of patience in his eight years in the NHL that have been riddled with injuries.The same player who said he was on the ice five days after last season ended, over which he missed 72 of 82 regular-season games — a result of what is believed to have been his fourth concussion — and could play in only six of 16 playoff contests.Patience is a virtue they say, and the 25-year-old Chytil has held himself to the highest of standards as he’s dealt with his latest unidentified upper-body injury.“It’s hard,” he said.
“It’s hard because you want to be out there every game.It’s very frustrating to watch my team play games.
… I learned so much last year, I went through a lot last year, which helps me mentally.Right now, this hurdle happens, I’m just stronger in my head.”Chytil said what’s ailing him is not concussion-related, noting it’s “more complicated than that.”Chytil had missed the previous two games after logging just over nine minutes in the Rangers’ 5-4 overtime loss to the Stars at Madison Square Garden last week.
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