The Rangers returned to full strength with a 4-3 win against the Canadiens on Saturday.
Filip Sitil returned to action for the first time since colliding with K'Andre Miller on Nov. 14 against the Sharks.
The Czech center, who was recovered from a concussion by specialists in New York, missed seven straight games with an unexplained upper-body injury.
“It's not easy to be out for two weeks and then have to fly back when you were doing well there,” the 25-year-old said after the match. “But I think I feel better with each shift. I just have to keep going. I want to stay healthy for the rest of the season.”
Shitil, who refused to get into his feelings about avoiding further head injuries, said only that it wasn't an easy time and he's happy to be back.
Sitil noted that a planned return date has not been set.
He said he and the Rangers took it all day by day until he felt 100 percent ready to return to action.
“I know my body and I know what's going on in my head,” Sittil said. Last season, he missed 72 of 82 regular-season games due to a concussion, likely the fourth in his eight-year NHL career. “I know what I went through last year, it was tough. [There’s] It was a difficult moment. As I always say, I stay positive no matter the situation. When I have a chance to come back and my whole body feels good, I will come back right away. I'm happy to be able to play today after two weeks. ”
Additionally, Chris Kreider played in his first game since the Rangers' four-game road trip after suffering back spasms.
The return of Cityl and Kreider removed Riley Smith and Johnny Brodzinski from the lineup.
Smith, who was traded for a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick that the Rangers will acquire this summer, has played a healthy scratch role for the first time in his time with New York.
This personnel change was likely just part of the reason for head coach Peter Laviolette's major lineup changes.
Laviolette built a new top line with Chytil centered around Artemi Panarin and Will Quill, while Alexis Lafreniere skated on the right wing with Brett Berard and Vincent Trocheck.
The usual first-line duo of Kreider and Mika Zibanejad served as a third-line unit alongside Capo Kakko.
As was the case in nine straight games earlier this season, Adam Edstrom, Sam Carrick and Jimmy Vesey made up the fourth line.
The changes to the defensive pairing separated Jacob Trouba and Quandre Miller, placing the Rangers captain on the bottom pairing with Zach Jones and lining up Miller next to Braden Schneider.
Jonathan Quick stopped 25 of 28 shots, improving his season record to 5-1-0 and moving him just two wins away from reaching 400.
