Some would possibly see the three-week Olympic break and 11 days off from the ice as delaying the inevitable for the Rangers amid what has been a tricky season.
A lifted roster freeze awaits when the season resumes Feb. 26, and a commerce deadline of March 6 that can probably shake issues up as soon as once more in New York is just not too far behind.
Nevertheless, the gamers aren’t wanting that far forward. What they wanted within the quick time period was a break, and it was welcomed for each psychological and bodily relaxation.
“Yeah, it was undoubtedly good,” Will Cuylle, who spent a portion of the break at residence in Toronto, instructed The Submit on Tuesday following the primary staff observe of non-Olympians for the reason that begin of the break. “I believe in any lengthy season, it’s good to have a break. It may be arduous in your physique. Eighty-two video games is quite a lot of video games. So that you simply attempt to reset and are available again contemporary.”
To Brennan Othmann, who break up time between Florida and residential in Ontario, the break gives the Rangers a possibility to deal with the remaining 25 video games as a brand new season.
“I believe it’s simply been an up-and-down yr for everyone,” Othmann instructed The Submit. “Firstly of the yr, I don’t suppose anybody actually figured we’d be on this place, however I believe it’s good simply to type of get away and reset and never fear about the place we had been at and all the pieces. It’s virtually like a contemporary season proper now and hopefully we are able to flip all these negatives, you wish to name it, and switch them into positives after this little break.”
“I believe it’s good you get that break. Even when it’s for 5 days, it’s good to get away,” he added.
Heading into the shutdown, the Rangers tallied simply three wins of their prior 18 video games (3-13-2) and sank to the underside of the Jap Convention at 22-29-6.
All of it led to a 2-0 residence loss to the Hurricanes, which marked their ninth shutout lack of the season and seventh on the Madison Sq. Backyard ice.
On prime of that, the Rangers additionally dealt main scorer Artemi Panarin to the Kings two days forward of the roster freeze in alternate for ahead Liam Greentree (a 2024 first-round choose) and a conditional third-round choose.
The poor play got here right down to what Cuylle attributed to “quite a lot of issues.”
“I really feel like execution will be higher, velocity, taking part in with extra ardour, I really feel like,” he added. “, we’ll see what occurs. I really feel just like the break ought to assist deliver a few of that again.”
The Rangers have already got two early positives popping out of their first observe in Tarrytown.
Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin, who each suffered lower-body accidents throughout a 3-2 additional time loss to Utah on Jan. 5, had been on the ice and in full-contact jerseys throughout what Cuylle described as a “good” and “aggressive” first skate.
Outdoors of coach Mike Sullivan, Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck and J.T. Miller being in Milan, Adam Edstrom wasn’t in attendance resulting from private causes.
“It’s good to see some faces you haven’t seen shortly… It’s good group camaraderie seeing these guys on the market on the ice,” Othmann mentioned. “They’re necessary gamers for our staff and we’re glad that they’re wholesome and glad that we’re all again collectively.”
The Rangers resume the season towards the Flyers to kick off a four-game homestand.
Brett Berard and Brendan Brisson had been recalled from Hartford forward of Tuesday’s observe.
