Rangers ripped by Flames, Filip Chytil exits with injury

CALGARY, Alberta — The Rangers had one of their ugliest losses of the season against the Flames just under two weeks ago — and this one was worse.

After two overtime defeats, the Rangers lost their fourth-game road trip to Calgary to the Flames, 6-0.

The Rangers, which lost 5-1 to the Flames Oct. 25, fell to 6-3-3 as the Rangers head home to face their Panthers on Monday.

Filip Chytil was hurt in the Rangers’ activation of Ryan Reaves, a 34-year-old winger who had missed four games with a lower body injury.

The Rangers quickly lost the night when, in the first minutes of the game Chytil collided with Sammy Blais at center ice. Chytil was the one who took the brunt and was slow to get up, before he went to the locker room where the 22-year old center stayed for the remainder of the game.

Filip Chytil is helped off the ice from teammates during the Rangers' 6-0 loss to the Flames.
Filip Chytil is helped off the ice from teammates during the Rangers’ 6-0 loss to the Flames.
USA TODAY Sports

It was eerily reminiscent of when Chytil sustained a significant wrist injury in a similar on-ice crash with the Penguins’ Evan Rodrigues last season. Chytil was unable to play for 14 games, and he never recovered the same strong start as he had at 2020-21.

The Rangers were able to shuffle their centers around effectively when second-line middle man Ryan Strome was put in COVID-19 protocol two games into the season, but it’s yet to be seen if they will be able to do it again. It’s likely that Greg McKegg, who was sent down to AHL Hartford on Saturday to make room for Reaves, will be recalled if Chytil is unavailable.

Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin also had a difficult night. Johnny Gaudreau, who scored two goals, lit up the arena.

Calgary was aggressive against the Rangers. They also made a point of controlling their net-front presence and keeping the Blueshirts off the puck whenever they could. Between Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk’s relentlessness — in addition to a goal and three assists — and the rest of Calgary’s cohesive play, the Rangers had no answer.

Even though the Rangers had a power play opportunity in each period they still managed to score six goals but could not find the back of it.

Two teams traded power-play opportunities towards the end of the first quarter, and the Flames were the winners. Sean Monahan’s one-timer from between the circles beat Shesterkin for the 1-0 Flames lead.

Adam Fox, No. Calgary fans booed Adam Fox every time he touched a puck. He was drafted No. 66 by the Flames in 2016. As the jeers rained down on him, Fox backhanded the puck in through traffic at 18:17 of the first period — but the Flames challenged for offside and the goal was overturned to send the Rangers into the second period trailing by a goal.

The Flames added two more players in the middle frame, Brad Richardson and Gaudreau.

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