PHILADELPHIA — Rookie winger Jesper Fast might not have played a lot in Game 2, but that doesn’t mean he’s coming out of the lineup.
Getting just three shifts in the third period on Sunday afternoon, the 23-year-old Fast was lauded by coach Alain Vigneault during Monday’s optional practice at the Garden, as the team prepared to travel to Philadelphia for Tuesday night’s Game 3 of this first-round playoff series against the Flyers, knotted at one game apiece.
“He played a good game,” Vigneault said of Fast, who got a total of 8:49 and was called up from AHL Hartford on April 7, playing the final three regular-season games with the team as a short prelude to his postseason debut in Game 1. “We were down by a goal [Sunday] and I shortened my bench in the third period for a couple of shifts. … [Fast] did what I expected him to do. I haven’t decided on a full lineup yet, so we’ll see what happens.”
The only options to replace Fast would be J.T Miller or Dan Carcillo, as Vigneault had no update on regular top-six forward Chris Kreider, having undergone surgery on March 28 for a left-hand injury and is yet to skate with the team.
“He’s improving,” was all Vigneault would say about Kreider.
Immediately following Game 3, the Rangers are heading back to New York so they can practice Wednesday and Thursday in their own building before returning to Philadelphia for Game 4 on Friday.
“Sleeping in your own bed and sleeping in a hotel, obviously, is a little different,” said Vigneault, who deferred to the longer-tenured people in the organization who recommended this travel setup. “We just felt that from the experience they’ve had in the past, that it was the right thing to do.”
The Flyers will start veteran backup goalie Ray Emery for the third straight game in replace of starter Steve Mason, continuing to recover from what is believed to be a concussion. And yet the Rangers still don’t care who is in the opposing nets.
“I’m not worried about it,” said defenseman Ryan McDonagh, echoing the sentiment of the rest of the team and his coach.