Rangers’ third line already in lockstep with opener a promising glimpse

All four of the Rangers lines had a hand in their season-opening rout of the Penguins, but it was the third unit that played like a fist.

Missing Filip Chytil for 82 of 98 total games last season made the Czech center’s presence on the ice Wednesday night all the more noticeable.

The way he weaves through defenders, pushes the puck up the ice and creates scoring opportunities, it simply lengthens the Rangers’ lineup.

Leading all lines with 12:25 of ice time, Chytil, Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko outshot the Penguins 13-6 while on the ice together, in addition to owning a 16-6 advantage in scoring chances and an 8-3 edge in high-danger opportunities, according to Natural Stat Trick.

They created off the rush and generated rebounds.

As a unit, their 1.05 expected goals rate led the team, and individually they all ranked in the top three in the same category.

“We had a lot of chances, not just chances, but a lot of big chances,” Chytil said after the 6-0 victory, which marked the sixth time in franchise history — and the first since 1956 — that the Rangers recorded a shutout in their season-opening game.

“Of course, that was a good start, but there’s a lot of things we have to work on [that] I’m not happy about. We just have to work on it, and we play another game on Saturday. Have a good practice on Friday and be ready for next game and be better.”

A full 82 games of Chytil is at the tip-top of the Rangers’ regular-season wish list.

The 25-year-old went down in the 10th game of last season with what is suspected to be the fourth concussion of his eight-year NHL career.

It was clear the Rangers didn’t think they could go the distance in the playoffs without Chytil, which is why No. 72 was inserted into the lineup the moment he was ready despite the fact that the club was undefeated through its first six games of the playoffs.

The itch that Chytil had to get back to playing the game he loves was palpable in training camp.

“I thought [Chytil] was good, the line was good,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “It had been good, that’s why we kept it together.”

Chytil’s lack of satisfaction Wednesday night after a dominant showing should be encouraging, though with the amount of Grade-A chances they generated and couldn’t convert, most players would be left unsatisfied.

Presumably none more than Kakko, who put forth an excellent game and somehow had zero points to show for it.

Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry stonewalled Kakko on a couple of occasions, including a breakaway attempt in the second period.

The second time came in the final frame when Chytil found Kakko crashing the net and Jarry denied the Finn with his right pad.

Kakko even had a primary assist taken away in the first period — and it was a pretty one.

After first gaining control of the puck off a defensive-zone draw, Kakko galloped up the ice to enter the Penguins zone before sending a cross-ice feed to Cuylle in transition.

Cuylle then ripped the puck off the post and in for what would’ve been a 2-0 Rangers lead.

The Penguins, however, challenged for offside and were successful.

In a way, this unit could be a new rendition of the Kid Line.

Instead of Alexis Lafreniere, Cuylle has the left-wing spot, but the style of the line could still be similar.

Long stretches with puck possession is a specialty of Kakko’s, but the whole line’s prolonged offensive zone time Wednesday night is what was the identifiable trait of the original Kid Line.

The hope is that, with a few more years of experience for Kakko and Chytil, the production of the unit should increase.

Registering three hits to go along with his assist in 15:20 of ice time, Cuylle had a solid game, as well.

Aside from the goalie interference penalty he took in the middle frame, the 22-year-old was involved and engaged.

Cuylle also got a look on the penalty kill to open the season after not receiving any shorthanded ice time in 2023-24.

A second look at Chytil’s goal revealed that Cuylle did not intend to make a drop pass but shoot the puck himself.

The puck slipped off his stick and back to Chytil, who went top corner on Jarry.

Still, there aren’t many Rangers who can get to the net the way that Cuylle can.

That element could be well served on this third line.

“Just be better, score goals,” Chytil said of what he wants his line to work on. “We had a lot of chances and we scored only one goal. There’s still room to improve. I think we started to play our game mostly since the second period, so we have to be ready from shift one.”