The New York Rangers’ third line has been making valuable contributions all season, and the trio’s success in Game 1 against Tampa Bay is a big reason the team finally has a lead during a postseason series.
Dubbed ‘The Kid Line’ because of their ages — Filip Chytil is 22, Alexis Lafrenière 20 and Kaapo Kakko 21 — the three combined for five points in New York's 6-2 victory Wednesday night in the series opener.
“They’ve had a huge impact since the playoffs started,” Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said Thursday.
“We broke them up a few times because of different matchups but overall they’ve been outstanding. ... They got inside, they scored some nice goals, they made some good plays and and they’re attacking,
Lafrenière has nine points (two goals, seven assists), Chytil eight (seven goals, one assist) and Kakko four (one goal, three assists) this postseason.
In the last three games — all Rangers wins — Chytil has five goals, and Lafrenière and Kakko each have two assists.
“I think down low in their end we’re a good line," Lafrenière said. "We got to get out of our zone as quick as we can and try to spend as much time in their end because that’s where we’re comfortable and we’re at our best.
Chytil, selected in the first round of the 2017 NHL draft, made the team out of training camp that fall before being sent down to the AHL for several months.
He is the third-longest tenured player on the team behind Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. Kakko, the second overall pick in the 2019 draft,
Chytil had eight goals in 67 games during the regular season and has nearly matched that in 15 playoff games, including two goals in Game 1 of this series.
In the first two rounds, New York never led until advancing with wins in Game 7 each time. They trailed Pittsburgh 1-0 and 3-1, and were behind Carolina 2-0 and 3-2.
That doesn't matter to the Rangers. They plan on keeping their approach the same whether they're trailing or leading.