DETROIT — The Rangers’ fourth line had no enforcer, was offensively talented and had played a combined 61 NHL games. Unusual, for sure.
“Intrigued is a good word; curious and intrigued,” first-year head coach David Quinn said before watching his new unit, with Lias Andersson, Filip Chytil and Vinni Lettieri, lose to the Red Wings, 3-2 in overtime, on Friday night at Little Caesars Arena. “Listen, they’re good players and they deserve to be here.”
It was a difficult game in which to judge the young trio. They hardly played in the third period while the Rangers were blowing a 2-0 lead. The ice times were not what Quinn ideally wanted, with Chytil getting 9:09, Lettieri getting 8:37 and Andersson getting 6:23.
“They were pretty good,” Quinn said. “Not the minutes I want them to play, but we’ll get there.”
Andersson had been called up earlier in the week and made his season debut in the 5-3 win over the Canadiens on Tuesday night. He was bumped to the wing for this one, with Chytil going into the middle.
“I just think Lias has a little bit more of the ability to play wing,” Quinn said, “and I think Fil, it gives him a little bit more freedom in the middle.”
Pavel Buchnevich moved to the top-line right wing, next to Vladislav Namestnikov and Mika Zibanejad, in place of the injured Mats Zuccarello. Buchnevich had some strong moments, but also took a slashing penalty with 1:49 remaining in regulation just after the Rangers had surrendered the tying goal.
The 23-year-old Russian had been better in the previous two games since he returned from a two-game stint as a healthy scratch.
“I think he understands what we’re trying to accomplish and what we want out of him,” Quinn said after Buchnevich finished with an assist and two shots on goal in 15:31 of ice time. “We all realize what type of player he’s capable of being at this level.”
Goalie Henrik Lundqvist stopped 28-of-31 shots, but stayed on career win No. 436, one short of tying Jacques Plante for seventh on the all-time wins list.
It was the plan that backup Alexandar Georgiev would get the start for the second leg of this back-to-back on Saturday night in Columbus, Ohio. The next chance after that for Lundqvist to tie the record would be at home on Monday against the Canucks.
Forward Cody McLeod was the healthy scratch after he had played in the previous eight straight.
There was no update on Zuccarello, the winger who was back in New York dealing with a groin strain. The team had said he was “day-to-day,” but was not going to make this trip.
“We’ll just wait until we get home,” Quinn said.