September 24, 2023. Boston, Massachusetts, USA. New York Rangers center Filip Sitil, 72, skates during the second period of a game against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. Required Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
By this point, you should know that New York Rangers manager Peter Laviolette won’t be handing out any lineup information during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And with Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Florida Panthers fast approaching on Wednesday, Laviolette doesn’t even seem willing to answer specific questions about specific players.
So when you try to figure out what the Rangers’ full lineup will look like Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, it’s a bit like reading the tea leaves.
But judging by the way they lined up in Monday’s practice, Filip Sitil is likely to start the best-of-seven series on the left wing of the third line. The 24-year-old skated there throughout practice with Alex Wennberg and Kaapo Kakko, while Will Quill dropped to the fourth line alongside Barclay Goodrow and Jimmy Vesey.
“I thought Phil looked good. He practiced well. So that’s a plus for us,” Laviolette said.
When Cityl played for the first time in six months after suffering an upper-body injury that appeared to be a concussion on Nov. 2, the Rangers were tied for the bottom six in Game 3 of a second-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes. That’s exactly what happened.
Of course, that continued throughout the game. Sitil missed Game 4 due to illness and did not play in his final two games of the series either. But after sharing his desire to return to action in a chat with the media on Sunday, he was on the third line Monday, two days before the series opener against the Panthers.
“I want to play,” Sitil told Gannett’s Vince Mercogliano. “I’m not just in it to watch the players from the stands or vacation in New York or Florida. I want to play, and I’ll give it my all if I get in the lineup.”
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Filip Sitil could add depth to Rangers’ batting lineup
Sitil started this season as a center between Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere and had six assists in 10 games. Of course, Vincent Trocheck filled in for the injured Cityl and had an All-Star season, tying for the Rangers’ playoff lead in points with 14 and second in points with six.
Therefore, Chtil is not a replacement for Trocheck. But Sitil, who plays as a left winger on the third line, has the skillset to help make that line more productive. The third line has two goals in 10 playoff games, with Quill and Kakko each scoring one goal.
“We have to do our job with whoever comes into the lineup,” Laviolette explained, avoiding a direct question about Sitil. “If you’re a defensive, physical player, you’ve got to bring that to the forefront. If you’re a creator, you’ve got to come in there and create. … So everyone has their hands on the ropes.” to make sure everyone is pulling in the right direction.”
Quill adds a little more skill to the fourth line and makes the lineup even longer. The rookie scored 13 goals in the regular season. He’s also an offensive forward who led the Rangers and all NHL rookies with 249 hits this season. He has 29 hits, which ranks third on the Rangers in the postseason.
Additional forwards in practice were Matt Lempe, Johnny Brodzinski and Blake Wheeler. Wheeler is healthy and considered a lineup option after missing three months with a lower-body injury.
