Prelims are over, which Rangers are moving on at the World Championships

The preliminary round of the IIHF World Championships have concluded and all of the Rangers players and prospects are on teams that made it to the Quarterfinals except for Nils Lundkvist and Sweden. Team USA with three Rangers are the top seed from Group B while Canada barely made it out of the prelims. The Czech Republic and Slovakia were two of the teams that finished ahead of fifth place Sweden in Group A.  So, how did the Rangers and prospects do so far?

Nils Lundkvist – Sweden

One reason that Team Sweden didn’t make it out of the preliminary round was that Nils Lundkvist was injured and played in only three of seven games.  How much was he missed?  Despite playing only three games, the defenseman tied for the lead in scoring for Team Sweden with five points, all assists.

In his third game, a win over Switzerland, he suffered a lower body injury that was originally reported as a thigh strain.   It was a big blow to Team Sweden as he was their best player, averaging 22:25 minutes of ice time per game.  In the game against Switzerland he had four assists in Sweden’s 7-0 win though he played fewer minutes due to the third period injury.

How severe the injury is remains to be seen. The team doctor provided an update that said he was unable to continue at the tournament and would be returning to Sweden for more tests and to “ensure the right treatment of the injury.”

Now that Lundkvist’s hockey season is officially over, it’s up to Chris Drury to get him signed to an Entry Level Contract so he can come to training camp in September.  The reports out of Sweden when the SHL season ended was that they expected him to sign with New York and make his North American debut in the fall.  Until that happens there is some concern as he must be signed by June 1, 2022 or he becomes a free agent.

Kevin Rooney, Colin Blackwell and Zac Jones – United States

Team USA had the best record of any team at the tournament with 18 points in the preliminaries, winning six of their seven games.    Al three Rangers played an important part in the team’s success, though it was reflected on the scoresheet.

Kevin Rooney finished with no points in seven games and a plus/minus of -1 as he averaged 12:49 minutes of ice time per game.

Colin Blackwell notched one goal and was a +4.  He averaged 15:27 minutes per game, good for fifth among USA fowards.  He also served as an alternate captain on the team.

Zac Jones was probably the most impressive Ranger player on Team USA.  The rookie led all skaters, averaging 19:35 minutes per game.   His two assists tied him for the most among defensemen on Team USA.  Jones did nothing at this tournament to diminish his potential as he excelled on a blue line that featured a number of prospects.

Filip Chytil and Libor Hajek – Czech Republic

The Czech team finished in third place in Group A winning five of seven games, two in overtime.  The two Rangers on the team made solid contributions.  Filip Chytil scored twice and added two assists for four points in seven games. He averaged 12:21 minutes per game and finished with a plus/minus rating of +1.

Libor Hajek played primarily on the third pair on the Czech blue line. He was tied for third on defense scoring  goal and two assists in seven games while playing 12:46 minutes per game.  His one goal was an empty net goal scored in the Czech’s final game versus Slovakia.

Braden Schneider – Canada

Teams are allowed to carry extra players in this tournament and Rangers defense prospect Braden ended up as the seventh defenseman, playing only an average of three minutes per game in the six games he was dressed.  He did get an assist on a Cole Perfetti goal against Italy who tipped in Schneider’s point shot.

Although he didn’t play much, it was a good week for Schneider as he was named the Western Hockey League East Division Defenseman of the year.

Adam Huska – Slovakia

Goalie prospect Adam Huska dressed for all seven games, but only played in two games as Julius Hudacek was the number one starter for Slovakia.  Huska’s one start was a 3-1 losing effort against Sweden in a game that the Swedes had to win.  Huska had 26 saves giving up one goal that was a fluke and another on a Swedish power play.

He played the third period in Slovakia’s last game against the Czech Republic, relieving Hudacek who had allowed four goals in the first 40 minutes.  Huska allowed two goals on eight shots in the 7-3 loss to the Czechs. The good news for the Rangers is though the veteran Hudacek is the top Slovakia goalie, by the end of the prelims, Huska had moved into the role as top backup.

The upcoming schedule

The four Quarterfinal games will all be played on Thursday, June 3 with three of the four featuring Rangers.   Two of the games will be televised live on the NHL Network.

9am – United States versus Slovakia – It will be Blackwell, Rooney and Jones taking on Slovakia though it’s doubtful that Adam Huska will get the start over Julius Hudacek.  We all saw how good Zac Jones was playing in New York, but he has really elevated his game in this tournament.

1 pm – Russia versus Canada –  This is a big game north of the border, but with the limited minutes Braden Schneider is seeing, there won’t be much for Ranger fans unless you are curious to watch Gerard Gallant’s coaching style.  If Canada had not made it out of the preliminary round, Gallant might have been Canada’s public enemy number one.

The Semifinals and Gold medal and consolation games will be televised on Saturday and Sunday.