Adam Fox’s practice layoff paid off with solid Game 1 performance for Rangers
NY Post
Whatever maintenance kept Adam Fox off the ice for practice in the week leading into the second round did not keep the defenseman from putting together a solid Game 1 performance against the Hurricanes.
“It felt good,” Fox said after Monday’s practice. “I think it was more being off for a little while, you jump back into it, but yeah, felt good. They’re a team where you’re gonna be defending a little bit, you’re gonna have to battle hard. I felt like the game was pretty good.”
Fox has been on the wrong end of two different collisions this season, first with Carolina’s Sebastian Aho back in November — which put him out of the lineup for 10 games — and then with Nick Jensen in Game 4 against Washington.
The extra time between series was a boon as Fox got to take five days off the ice before rejoining the team for practice the day before Game 1.
He ultimately skated his usual 23:01 and notched an assist, though he was on the ice for a defensive breakdown when Martin Necas skated between Fox and Ryan Lindgren to score Carolina’s second goal in the 4-3 Rangers victory.
“There’s definitely room to clean it up. I can speak for myself, a few breakdowns on that one goal especially, the lock where they got in there,” Fox said. “I think we had a pretty good recipe there, winning the special teams is always gonna set you up for success and it’s gonna be a battle five-on-five. I think there’s always things you can work on, especially in a series where you’re gonna be playing the same team a lot.”
The Rangers hit the mark with their on-ice ceremony honoring Mika Zibanejad ahead of his 1,000th NHL game Monday night.
PORT ST. LUCIE — For now, Craig Kimbrel is choosing Mets purgatory.
‘Freak of nature: Zion Williamson’s resurgence could pose a Knicks problem versus motivated Pelicans
Zion Williamson is slimmer and healthier for his trip to MSG.
Don’t blame Mikal Bridges for his paltry stats. Blame the role.
Almost a year to the day after a goaltender interference call against Kyle Palmieri lost the Islanders a game against the Blue Jackets that started their season’s death spiral, they were on the wrong end of another controversial call against those same Blue Jackets that might have had the same effect.
On the Queens side of town, the reno began in earnest almost as soon as Francisco Lindor grounded into the 4-6-3 double play. That ended a 4-0 loss before a rare sizable crowd at Miami’s loanDepot Park last Sept. 27, all of them there to witness the final death rattles of an epic baseball calamity.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is being paid handsomely for his breakout season.
Next comes the harder part. Mostly because it can’t get any easier.
It was Kids Day at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, but for the Rangers, it’s been All About The Kids for months.
PORT ST. LUCIE — From the moment he was told he needed surgery on his left hamate bone, Francisco Lindor fixated on the recovery time. Trainers provided the Mets shortstop a six-week pathway to return to play, and Lindor was determined to hit every marker.
Dylan Garand knew the number off the top of his head. He knew that, between the regular season and playoffs, he’d logged over 160 games with AHL Hartford, and he was right. Before the Rangers recalled him Friday, Garand had served as the Wolf Pack’s goaltender 165 times.
SAN DIEGO — As you may have seen elsewhere in this newspaper (and also if you haven’t deleted me yet from your social media), I have a book coming out Tuesday called “The Bosses of The Bronx.” Much of it details the 37 years’ worth of antics, winning, losing, winning again and overall mania of George Steinbrenner’s time with the Yankees.
Don’t close the curtain on “Mean” Joe Greene.