Rangers Zac Jones struggles in rare ice time during loss to Penguins

After not having played since Dec.23, Zac Jones was back for a second straight game in Friday’s 3-2 loss to Pittsburgh at Madison Square Garden. And unlike his promising return Wednesday in the win over Boston because of an illness to Urho Vaakanainen, Jones wasn’t able to help in Friday’s costly defeat against an undermanned Penguins team. The pair of Jones and Braden Schneider struggled, much like the rest of the lineup in a game the Rangers could hardly afford to drop. Prior to the loss, Peter Laviolette praised Jones’ game. “He sees the game really well,’’ the coach said.

“He’s a good skater, makes a good first pass, reading situations from a defensive standpoint.… We had the conversations postgame to remind him that’s exactly what we want, and he executed well.” How that impacts Jones going forward remains to be seen. Prior to Wednesday, he had been a healthy scratch in 18 straight games, as well as 20 of the past 21. “Being a guy last year in it the whole year, I learned to roll with the punches sometimes,” said Jones, who was in and out of the lineup a year ago, as well.

“Some days are better than others.You come ready to play, regardless of what day it is, what the situation is.” With Vaakanainen out, that situation meant more time on the ice for Jones, although the Rangers have just Saturday’s game at Columbus before the 4 Nations break. “It’s tough.

You come into the lineup after being out a while and want to stick to your game in a sense, but also [playing time is] in the back of your mind,” Jones said.“I’m not gonna say it’s not.

It’s natural to think something like that.” With Adam Edstrom out indefinitely with a lower-body injury, Jimmy Vesey replaced him on the fourth line against the Bruins, alongside Matt Rempe and Sam Carrick. The line played well in their first game together, but Rempe made a costly bad pass early in the second period Friday that led to Pittsburgh’s first goal. Re...