Rangers’ win over Sharks overshadowed by big Filip Chytil worry

The Rangers’ eventual 3-2 win over the Sharks on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden faded to the background the moment Filip Chytil exited the game following a collision with K’Andre Miller in the second period.

Chytil briefly returned to the Rangers bench after Miller’s shoulder appeared to make contact with his head and forced him to the locker room, but only for one shift.

He then was ruled out for the third period with what the Rangers described as an upper-body injury.

5

“Day to day,” head coach Peter Laviolette said, as usual. “He’s getting evaluated right now.”

The Czech center’s injury comes just one day after Laviolette admitted that members of what’s considered the bottom six and third defensive pairing have earned more ice time lately.

That’s because Chytil’s line with Kaapo Kakko and Will Cuylle has been one of the Blueshirts’ most consistent and prolific units so far this season, having outscored opponents 11-0 during five-on-five play.

Chytil set out to appear in all 82 regular-season games this season after failing to do so in each of his previous six campaigns due to injuries — especially after missing a majority of the 2023-24 season with what was believed to be his fourth documented concussion.

The concern has always been about the person, not the player.

5

“Fil’s been a huge part of our team this year,” said Jimmy Vesey, who gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead in the second period with his second goal of the season. “He’s a big part of what we’re trying to do. Him and that whole line have been huge for us. We’re all hoping to get him back quickly.”

The Rangers’ performances in the previous four games forced Laviolette to go back to the Artemi Panarin-Vincent Trocheck-Alexis Lafreniere line, as well as the top-four configuration on defense they’ve used three times prior to Thursday night with Miller next to Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren alongside Jacob Trouba.

He went back to Cuylle-Chytil-Kakko after just two games apart last week.

5

It all paid dividends for the Rangers, who pulled ahead 3-1 toward the end of the middle frame on a sweet Trocheck deflection off a Panarin feed.

Facing the possibility of losing Chytil, the Rangers would find themselves in a difficult spot. The organization is not only incredibly thin at center, but Chytil has been one of the team’s most consistent forwards, driving their strongest line of late.

The Rangers are scheduled to be off Friday before a Saturday return to practice ahead of their flight to Seattle.

5

More about Chytil’s status for the upcoming four-game road trip should be known by then.

A Sharks team that has been playing much better than its 0-7-2 start to the season scored the first goal of the game, which has resulted in a loss for the Blueshirts every other time this season.

Not this time, however, as the home team had a rally sparked by a much-needed goal from Mika Zibanejad.

5

“It’s always good to help the team, to score,” said Zibanejad, who last saw the puck go in the net Oct. 22. “Good to get the two points.”

While San Jose had gone 5-2-1 in its last eight, the Sharks were still the fifth-worst team in the NHL entering their first game at the Garden since picking up Barclay Goodrow on waivers in a prearranged deal with the Rangers this past summer.

The Rangers needed a definitive win against a team they were expected to beat — and they delivered.

The Sharks opened the scoring on a fluky goal when a shot from Timothy Liljegren bounced through traffic and over goalie Igor Shesterkin just under three minutes into the game.

But the Rangers deserved to be trailing going into the first intermission amid their continued disconnectedness, which got better as the game progress. A lack of cohesion in the lineup has been apparent for weeks now.

If Chytil is unavailable, that has some real potential to exacerbate the Rangers’ dysfunction.

The win was needed, but the Rangers may have lost something much bigger.