Nick Bonino didn’t practice Wednesday due to lower-body maintenance, according to the Rangers, but head coach Peter Laviolette said he hopes the forward will play Thursday when they host the Predators at Madison Square Garden.
And following the Rangers’ win over the Coyotes on Monday, Laviolette said he would rather let his players get accustomed to their roles before looking to make too many lineup changes, whether at five-on-five or special teams.
“I think we’re gonna work through things,’’ Laviolette said. “I think before you go changing things too much, you’ve got to give them a chance. You’ve got to take it for a test drive and see how it looks. To [make a change] for one period [or] two periods doesn’t make sense. You’ve got to do it for a stretch of time, evaluate it and see whether you like it.”
For the most part, the coach said he likes what he has seen over the Rangers’ first three games, including two wins.
He praised the work of the top three lines, with Kaapo Kakko on the top line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, as well as the second line with Filip Chytil working well alongside Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafraniere.
Laviolette said Chytil has been able to use his speed and skill set next to Panarin and Lafraniere.
“I’ve liked what I’ve seen so far, but it’s early,’’ Laviolette said.
The same can be said of Will Cuylle, the young forward who has played well after winning a roster spot with a strong training camp.
Laviolette called the third line of Cuylle, Vincent Trocheck and Blake Wheeler a “responsible line” that’s still “looking for its identity.” But he added Cuylle hasn’t been prone to mistakes that can sometimes hurt inexperienced players.
“There’s always something on defense you coach,’’ Laviolette said. “But there haven’t been ‘uh-oh’ type moments. He’s done a really good job playing defense and using his size and power, physicality and speed.”
As for Wheeler, he was off the second power-play unit in practice Wednesday and instead worked on the penalty kill while defenseman Erik Gustafsson took his spot on the power play.
Ryan Lindgren said he was “feeling good” after he returned to the lineup Monday after missing the previous game with an upper-body injury.
The defenseman acknowledged that his physical play may lead to him having to play through injuries more often than other players.
Laviolette agreed.
“I think certain players play a game that leads them into the battle a little bit more and he’s one of those guys,’’ Laviolette said. “He does play the game hard.”
Told that Lindgren had expressed remorse about an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty he took protesting a slashing call on Lafrienere on Monday, Laviolette said he hoped the Rangers avoid those types of mistakes.
“I don’t like when we retaliate after the whistle,’’ Laviolette said.
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