The adrenaline Filip Chytil felt in his first game back a week and a half ago, after a six-plus-month recovery from a suspected concussion, has the Czech forward craving for more.
All it took was one shift to get Chytil hooked once again on the feeling he had been missing for a majority of the season.
But in an instant, it was all ripped away again as Chytil woke up two mornings later feeling unwell and unable to play for what became the remainder of the second-round series against the Hurricanes.
Now that the Rangers are on to the Eastern Conference Final, where they’ll play the Panthers beginning on Wednesday at the Garden, Chytil is yearning for another opportunity to get back into the action.
“Of course I want to play games,” he said after a well-attended optional practice at MSG Training Center on Sunday. “That’s what we’re practicing for. We’re not practicing to stay [at] practice and enjoy that. Of course, I’m happy I can go through this stuff because I didn’t get to the whole season. I can go through the drills of what can happen in games, but of course, playing the game is the best thing that can be. That’s where adrenaline is and that’s where I want to be.”
This season as a whole has been hard for Chytil, who went down after just 10 games with what is believed to be the fourth documented concussion of his seven-year NHL career.
It was a long road to get to Game 3 of Round 2, one filled with an unfortunate setback in January and led to a trip to his home country of Czechia to reset.
Even when he was medically cleared at the start of the playoffs, Chytil worked through a ton of practices before getting reinserted into the lineup.
Chytil said he is feeling great now.
With a few more practices, he added, he’ll be able to work on his game and see where it takes him.
The 24-year-old has been a full participant in practice, even after he missed Games 4, 5, and 6 against the Canes with an “illness” that then became “soreness.”
“I don’t know about the percentage,” Chytil said when asked how close he is to 100 percent. “There are too many people talking to me about those percentages. I’m not talking about it. I don’t know. … I’m just going to work every day now, and let’s see what’s going to happen. But if I’m going to play, I will give my best.”
Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren and K’Andre Miller were the only regular skaters who did not participate in the Rangers’ optional practice on Sunday.
The Rangers loaned Dylan Garand to the Hartford Wolf Pack for Game 2 of their Atlantic Division Final series against the Hershey Bears on Saturday.
Garand made 23 saves in the 4-2 loss, which means the Rangers’ AHL affiliate will have to win on Wednesday to avoid elimination.
Garand is still available to the Rangers if the varsity clubs needs him.