SUNRISE, Fla. — The Rangers didn’t fall behind in the Eastern Conference Final against the Panthers because of a few inconsequential personnel decisions, but they certainly became a factor in the playoff run.
When Peter Laviolette opted to insert Filip Chytil into the lineup for Game 3 of the Blueshirts’ second-round matchup with the Hurricanes, the Rangers head coach justified the move — which was made when his club was 6-0 in the postseason — by saying it was about maximizing his bench.
It provided the Rangers with a jolt in the moment and allowed them to pick up a double-overtime victory, their seventh straight playoff win, but it also ultimately became another thing for Laviolette to manage.
After his triumphant return from a six-plus month recovery period with a suspected concussion, Chytil fell ill, as something went through the room and affected other players as well, and wasn’t able to get back on the ice two mornings later for Game 4 against Carolina.
He was later too sore to play in Game 5.
Jonny Brodzinski, who drew back into the lineup Saturday night for Game 6 against the Panthers, stepped in.
Then it was Matt Rempe.
Then Brodzinski again.
For Games 1, 2 and 3 of the conference final, Chytil played in all, but Kaapo Kakko was a healthy scratch in the second game before Jimmy Vesey suffered an upper-body injury in the first game in Florida.
The injury opened the door for Blake Wheeler to make his return to the lineup for the first time since suffering a gruesome lower-body injury on Feb. 15, but the loss of Vesey on the fourth line became another hurdle to clear.
Vesey, who participated in morning skate Saturday in a red non-contact jersey, was a staple on the fourth line all season and into the playoffs.
He became part of that unit’s identity, bringing a scoring touch and serving as a reliable skater.
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By the second game in Florida, however, the Rangers held Chytil out of the lineup in the name of load management.
It quickly became clear that the Rangers valued Chytil at a lesser capacity than their other options, which is understandable, but a balancing act nonetheless when you’re trying to put a player in a position to have success.
Entering Game 6 Saturday night, with his team trailing 3-2 and its season on the line, Laviolette was expected to dress a different lineup for a 10th straight contest, dating back to Game 3 of Round 2.
And for a team that largely had continuity in both the line combinations and defensive pairs for a majority of the season, it became an element to consider.
Between Chytil’s inconsistent availability and usage of the Czech forward, as well as the deployment and comfort level with how to use Rempe, Laviolette went from having barely any decisions to make to having a surplus of decisions to make — at a time when team play had to be the priority.
The Rangers were never going to go 16-0 on the way to winning the Stanley Cup, but the postseason got considerably harder the moment changes were made.
In theory, getting Chytil and Wheeler involved was important to the longevity of the Rangers’ run, but it also played a role in where the team is now.
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