PITTSBURGH — Filip Chytil skated in the Rangers’ 3-2 loss to the Penguins on Tuesday night despite missing a majority of the previous game, but the Czech center still took issue with the hit from Blackhawks forward Sam Lafferty that prompted his early exit on Sunday. .
“I didn’t have the puck for maybe two seconds, that was I think a cheap hit,” Chytil told The Post after the Rangers’ morning skate Tuesday at PPG Paints Arena. “I don’t know. Maybe somebody doesn’t agree with me, somebody does. But for me, that wasn’t a good play. I think there [should’ve] been a penalty.”
The late and high hit from Lafferty occurred early in the second period, when Chytil made a pass behind the Blackhawks net and still caught a blow to the head. Chytil, who scored a goal earlier in the blowout game, went straight to the locker room and missed the remainder of the contest. There was no penalty on the play or any supplementary discipline for Lafferty from the NHL’s department of safety.
“That was a chance to score [a] goal, so I was watching it,” he said when asked if he felt he got caught watching the puck. “I wanted to come back to the play, but when I’m standing alone in the corner, a guy comes to me and hits me. That’s what he wanted to do probably.”
Between Chytil’s concussion history and the fact that the game was already in the bag, the Rangers likely wanted to play it safe with him. Chytil said that he did feel OK to come back in play, but there really was no need to risk it. All Chytil said he cared about was that the Rangers ultimately won.
Chytil slotted back into his usual spot in the middle of Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko on Tuesday, a trio that has skated together for four straight games.
In the final seconds of Tuesday’s game, Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin dove and slid into Mika Zibanejad, who was making a move to the net. It was a dangerous play that prompted Zibanejad to crash into Pittsburgh netminder Tristan Jarry.
“There should’ve been a call on somebody,” Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant said. “Whether it’s goalie interference for us or a trip for them. You make up your mind.”
Three penalties and myriad turnovers tell the most accurate story of the Penguins’ play in the first half of the game. Despite logging six minutes on the power play, during which Pittsburgh stuck to Zibanejad like glue, the Rangers went 0-for-3 with the man-advantage.
Vincent Trocheck, who is a Pittsburgh native, hosted the whole team on Monday for a big dinner that his grandmother cooked.
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