The Rangers haven’t enjoyed too much fortunate news during a lengthy slide, but Filip Chytil finally rejoined them on the ice Thursday in Tarrytown.
Chytil, who started the season as the Rangers’ second-line center, skated with the team for the first time since suffering a suspected concussion against the Hurricanes on Nov. 2 at the Garden.
“Day 1, so we’ll start the process of working up to speed. But it was good to have him out there,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said after practice. “There’s no time frame. That was Day 1.”
The 24-year-old Chytil returned to New York this week after spending the last several weeks in his native Czech Republic.
He skated Thursday with a red non-contact jersey — occasionally taking shifts with his teammates — but remains on long-term injured reserve.
“It’s great to see him back out there. Obviously, he’s been going through a lot. We’ve all been worried about him and glad to see him back on the ice,” center Vincent Trocheck said. “I think it’s good for morale to see a guy that’s been going through an injury or going through some things, to be out there looking healthy and happy.
“But let’s give him some time, it’s his first day back, his first practice back in the last two months. It’ll take some time, obviously, for anyone who takes two months off, to get your body back in shape.”
Trocheck has thrived since he was bumped up to the second line alongside star winger Artemi Panarin after Chytil was injured in a collision with Carolina forward Jesper Fast nearly three months ago.
Trocheck ranks second on the team with 45 points (15 goals) and was recently named as a late addition to the All-Star team.
Still, Chytil had emerged in recent seasons as the center on the Rangers’ effective Kid Line alongside Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere.
“He looked like [he was in a] good mood. Obviously, [he’s] feeling better, so that’s good,” Lafreniere said after practice. “Hopefully, we can get him back soon. I don’t know when he’s coming back but he’s a big part of our offense, I think, and hopefully he gets back soon.
“He missed two months. It’s good to see that he’s doing well. And he’s back on the ice.”
In the meantime, the Rangers (29-15-3 overall) will look to correct a 3-5-2 slide over the past 10 games — including a 1-2-1 mark on their recent West Coast road trip.
They still are clinging to first place in the Metro Division, but the skid has brought them back to the pack in the standings entering their final two games before the All-Star break — Friday at the Garden and Saturday night in Ottawa.
“Personally, I don’t want to make this sound like it’s not a big game. It’s a big game,” Laviolette said of Friday night’s return home to face the Golden Knights, who trounced his team, 5-1, last week in Sin City. “We just played them and we didn’t get the results that we’re looking for. So we want to fix that problem.
“I think we want to approach [Friday’s] game like we’ve got to do a better job. We’ve got to win a hockey game. We’ve got two games before we go on a break. Let’s dial in, focus, and make sure we’re ready to play. Is it make or break for the year? I can’t answer that. Is it a critical part [of the season]? Yeah, I’d like to, we’d like to, win these games to keep things moving and get back on track.”