Brandon Scanlin recognizes the timing of his NHL debut.
While it’s a milestone he’s been working toward his entire career, Scanlin also beat three of the top six defensemen on Tuesday in the club’s 11th-to-last game of the regular season. , making his first appearance wearing a Rangers jersey.
Although the Rangers remained the favorites for the Presidents Trophy and trailed the Hurricanes by three points in the Metropolitan Division after a 6-5 overtime win over the Flyers on Tuesday night, Scanlin I jumped into the whirlpool.
“Obviously, knowing there’s a little bit of a problem puts a little bit of pressure on you.” [playoff] Let’s race now,” Scanlin told the Post before the game. “But I mean, you have the same mindset of trying to win every hockey game. It adds a little bit of pressure, but at the same time, you enjoy the moment and I think that’s where you grow.”
The undrafted blueliner out of the University of Nebraska at Omaha had one hit in 10 minutes, 46 seconds of ice time Tuesday night.
Scanlin was recalled in the middle of his third AHL season with the Wolf Pack.
He has eight goals, eight assists and 16 points in 57 games.
With Jacob Trouba and Ryan Lindgren out with lower-body injuries, Zach Jones and trade deadline acquisition Chad Ruhwedel were added to the lineup.
After Erik Gustafsson absorbed an elbow to the head from the Panthers’ Sam Reinhart in overtime on Saturday, Scanlin was next up on the Rangers’ power chart.
“I think I’ve just learned from my rookie year at Hartford and adapted to the program,” Scanlin said of his steps in the game this season. “I’m thinking about what I can bring to the table to make myself an effective player.”
Scanlin manned Ruwedel’s left side during Monday’s practice, while Jones moved up to play alongside Adam Fox. The pairing of Quandre Miller and Braden Schneider that was first established when Trouba went down remained intact.
President and general manager Chris Drury last month extended Scanlin’s contract for two years at $775,000 per season. This is Scanlin’s third contract with the Rangers after signing a two-year deal with them in March 2022.
“Today is a special day for my family and I,” Scanlin said. “I’m looking forward to soaking it all up and enjoying the moment.”
Trouba and Lindgren both participated in Tuesday’s optional morning skate.
This is Trouba’s first time skating in a team setting, and Lindgren made his return to the Rangers wearing a red non-contact jersey during Monday’s practice.
Artemi Panarin, who had three assists in Tuesday’s win, reached and surpassed the 100-point milestone for the first time in his NHL career.
He has 102 points this season.
