Filip Chytil, who is scheduled to play in the team’s third playoff game on Friday night, missed all but 10 regular season games and 10 of the team’s 12 postseason games with a suspected concussion, so it’s hard to say how close he is to peak form.
But to him, every shift matters.
For him, just being able to get back on the ice is still exciting.
The Czech forward is simply, and rightly, proud to have made it this far.
“It’s been a long time,” Chytil said before the Rangers played in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Panthers. “It’s hard to say. Every time I step on the court, I just play hard and do what I think is best in that moment. Of course, it’s not the same as if I had played every game the whole season.”
“I’ve missed over 80 games, but I know I’m being true to myself. Things are different, but I’m just competing, playing hard and doing what I can.”
Chytil logged 12 minutes, 2 seconds of ice time in Game 3 of the Hurricanes series, then played 9 minutes, 17 seconds in Game 1 against Florida on Wednesday.
Skating on either side of the line with Alex Wennberg and Kaapo Kakko, Chytil took just one shot on goal — a graceful move with the puck between his legs and heading toward the net that was blocked by Carolina goaltender Petor Kochetkov. Chytil is still trying to find his footing after an extended absence from the game.
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During the Rangers’ 3-0 loss in the first game of the conference finals earlier this week, Chytil wasn’t substituted from the 4:22 mark of the third period until 1:07 remaining, but coach Peter Laviolette attributed it to his desire to double-shift key players and the way the game was unfolding at the time.
It will take some time for Chytil to return to his old self, and Laviolette knows that.
“I think you have to find a balance and that’s something we’re working on,” Laviolette said. “We’ve got a guy back who’s been out for quite a while and he’s working hard to get back in shape and I think that guy should be given the opportunity to practice and that’s something that I’m not sure was evident, especially in the last game.
“From there, the expectation comes that he has to be productive to earn playing time and opportunities. I think he’s put in a lot of work to earn an opportunity to get back in the lineup and I understand his capabilities and what he could do if he was a player that came into camp.”
“But for him, a lot of time was off. This is exactly what it means to be on a moving train. The train was moving pretty fast and he missed a lot of time, so we’re trying to get him back up to speed. So, we’re monitoring that and seeing how he does in different situations.”
Chytil, a natural centre, said playing on the wing is nothing new to him, even though he didn’t play that position for the majority of his Rangers career.
Laviolette said it’s too early to assess how well Chytil feels at the position, but noted the 24-year-old is working on it in practice.
Chytil said the pace and intensity of Laviolette’s training helped him return so quickly.
But for now, Chytil said he’s relying more on muscle memory than the consistency of playing time like other players.
“But it’s the conference finals. Nobody’s asking if I played or didn’t play,” Chytil said. “I just have to do my best and help my team win games. That’s all I’m thinking about. I’m not thinking about anything else.”
