Ryan Lindgren was sorely missed on the ice by his Rangers teammates, when the defenseman sat out for Games 2-4 with an undisclosed lower-body injury sustained in the opening game of this series. first round game against the Penguins.
Since Lindgren’s return to the lineup in Game 5, the Rangers have looked a bit heavier. It also can’t be a coincidence that his defensive partner, Adam Fox, was also much better.
Lindgren is clearly still banged up. The Rangers opted for 11 forwards and seven defensemen in Lindgren’s first game back to ensure they weren’t stuck with five D-men if No. 55 had to retire to the locker room. Lindgren also hasn’t really practiced since he returned to game action, indicating that he needs all the rest he can get.
“That’s the kind of player he is,” Chris Kreider said when asked about Lindgren’s inspiring performance in Game 5. “That’s how it’s built. I don’t think we expected anything less, but at the same time I think inspirational is the right word. He is a warrior. He is the type of person you would like to be in a trench with you.
“You know, it was great to have him back in the lineup and see him play the way he did. He is a big part of this team. A lot of it, I mean, on the ice and in the locker room.”
Lindgren scored an empty goal in Game 5 and assisted on Mika Zibanejad’s 2-2 scoreline in the second period of the Rangers’ eventual 5-3 win in Game 6. He resumed his usual killing responsibilities. penalties without missing a beat. Also, the penguins have sensed Lindgren and his physical presence.
The Rangers also reaped the benefits of reinserting Tyler Motte into the lineup after the acquisition at the trade deadline missed the last 10 games of the regular season and the first five games of this series with a thigh injury. upper body. Motte makes the Rangers fourth row a bit quicker and stronger up front, while also removing penalties to give some of the bigwigs some breathing room.
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“Very good,” head coach Gerard Gallant said of Motte after Game 6. “Very excited to see him play that way. He didn’t play a lot of minutes, but he felt great. And every time he asked him, he was like, ‘No, I’m ready, coach.’ He was good and he is an important guy for us, without a doubt.”
There are 12 Rangers who had played in a Game 7 before Sunday’s winner-take-all matchup. Justin Braun and Chris Kreider led the club with the most appearances in Game 7 (6). Gallant coached in a Game 7, when he was bench manager in Las Vegas and the Golden Knights lost in overtime to the Sharks in 2019. Coincidentally, Barclay Goodrow scored the game-winning goal.
Reference-nypost.com