Blake Wheeler makes Rangers return as team manages Filip Chytil’s workload

NHL

By Mollie Walker

SUNRISE, Fla. — Just as one Ranger who was injured long term came out of the lineup again, another made his return.

Filip Chytil was relegated to the press box Tuesday night in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final, after the Czech forward had played in three straight contests.

Word is that Chytil is healthy, but the team is looking to manage his workload after his six-plus-month layoff from game action with a suspected concussion.

“It’s just part of Fil coming back after such a long layoff and what we feel is best for him to continue to move forward for us,” head coach Peter Laviolette said after the Rangers fell 3-2 in overtime Tuesday night at Amerant Bank Arena. “You’re asking a lot for a guy that missed six months to come back in and get up to that speed. This is part of the plan for him.”

Blake Wheeler, who had taken warm-ups the previous two games but not line rushes, finally managed to crack the lineup after serving as an option in this round.

Tuesday night was his first game since suffering a gruesome leg injury on Feb. 15, which sidelined him for the rest of the regular season and through the first 13 games of the playoffs.

“When he came out, I thought he gave us some good minutes,” Laviolette said. “It was a long road for him to get back. I thought he came in and there was times where [Barclay] Goodrow, [Matt] Rempe and Wheeler put it in the offensive zone and they actually stayed down there and were able to occupy some time and spend some minutes down there.”

Without Chytil, Jack Roslovic slotted back onto the right wing of the first line with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad, though Kaapo Kakko found himself in that spot beginning early in the second period.

The second line of Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere remained intact, while Will Cuylle returned to the left wing of the third unit next to Alex Wennberg and Kakko to start.

Zibanejad’s picked-off pass at the blue line forced Wheeler to take a hooking penalty that led to Sam Reinhart’s overtime winner in Game 4 Tuesday night.

“It’s making decisions,” the Swedish center said. “I see him kind of coming towards me, I think he’s open because [Cuylle] is going to the net, trying to make the play and they poke it and go the other way, obviously. I should have probably just made a different play, or decision, but I made the decision there then. I can’t change it now.”

Paul Maurice made some line changes, both personnel and placement, that were brought upon by both the Panthers head coach’s decisions and health.

Pulling Ryan Lomberg and Nick Cousins off the fourth line, Maurice turned to his more experienced players in Kyle Okposo and Steven Lorentz to flank Kevin Stenlund.

Maurice also opted to stick with some of the line changes he made at the end of Game 3.

Carter Verhaeghe moved up to the left wing of the top unit with Aleksander Barkov and Reinhart, while Evan Rodrigues got bumped to the second line alongside Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk.

As a result, ex-Ranger Vladimir Tarasenko — who had only one shot on goal through each of the first two contests before posting two in Game 3 and five in Game 4 —slotted onto the right wing of the third line.