Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals has ended. The series between the New York Rangers and the Tampa Bay Lightning is tied 2-2 after a 4-1 Tampa victory. Whoever wins this series will go on to play the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Final. During Game 4, Rangers forward Filip Chytil left mid-game and did not return. It was later determined to be an upper-body injury.
Filip Chytil Leaves Game 4
The injury sustained by Chytil was from a hit by Lightning Victor Hedman. Chytil was crunched into the boards with roughly six minutes left in the second period. He remained on the bench for a couple of minutes before heading down the tunnel. The forward did not return for the third period. After the game, head coach Gerard Gallant stated that Chytil, “should be fine.” He is also not expected to miss Game 5 at this time.
Chytil’s Impact Thus Far
The 22-year-old center had a very quiet regular season offensively. He scored eight goals and recorded 22 points in 67 games played. However, he has been crucial and has really stepped up for the Rangers during the playoffs. In just 17 playoff games, Chytil has scored seven goals and recorded nine points. He also scored the game-winning goal against Tampa Bay in Game 1. His line has been a staple this playoff run and helped in defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins in the First Round and the Carolina Hurricanes in the Second Round.
Chytil and his linemates, Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere have recorded a combined 23 points through 17 games. With teammate Ryan Strome also being injured and missing Game 4, the Rangers could find themselves in a bad position going into Game 5. Injuries are inevitable during deep playoff runs but beating the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions is going to require all hands on deck from the Rangers. Updates on Chytil and other Rangers players will likely come before Thursday.
