When Filip Chytil was in Czechia recovering from a suspected concussion, he could not stay up until 1 a.m. local time each night for Rangers games to start. Instead, he caught the highlights the next morning.
Even then, he would visualize being with the team again.
“Even in that moment when I was back home and I was resting and enjoying my time with the family, I still thought about hockey,” Chytil said after the Rangers practiced Tuesday in advance of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final against Florida. “That I’m here at this time, it’s beautiful for myself.”
Chytil did not outright state that he is playing Wednesday, but heavily implied he will be, at one point, saying, “It’s gonna be nice to be involved in tomorrow’s game as well.”
The Czech continued to skate on the wing of the third line along with Alex Wennberg and Kaapo Kakko in practice, and made no hesitation afterward in sharing how grateful he is to be here, now, after a grueling recovery.
“It’s funny actually because I was thinking about this before I joined the team in the beginning of April,” Chytil said. “Had 6 ½ months with no hockey during the season, it’s very hard. When I joined, I just started to feel that I’m enjoying that even more.
“Not putting that much pressure on myself, did I have to do something or I must do something. I’m just feeling grateful that I’m here and very happy that I can be involved in everything we have here. It’s changed a little bit, that view on the sport for myself. I’m very proud for myself that I’m here right now.”
When Chytil returned to play Game 3 of the second round in Carolina, it appeared to put a bow on the story.
But a subsequent illness and soreness meant it wasn’t so simple.
“Of course it was hard,” he said. “When you see the guys playing great, of course we lost another two games after that, I was not happy with that. I wanted to be involved in that.”
Wednesday, if he does indeed play, will be his first time back on Garden ice since Nov. 2.
“I could see during the games, there’s a great crowd, we have great fans,” Chytil said. “I can’t wait to be out there on the ice and enjoy that atmosphere. Most importantly to give them the win tomorrow and start 1-0.”
Ryan Lindgren (maintenance) missed a third consecutive practice.