WASHINGTON — Lining up at center ice around the circle for a faceoff draw in the second period of the Rangers’ 4-3 win over the Capitals in Game 2 on Tuesday night, Tom Wilson shoved Will Cuylle with his stick, prompting the Blueshirts’ rookie to lift up his own stick and hit the Capitals’ agitator right in the family jewels.
Wilson took exception, cross-checked Cuylle harder and expressed his displeasure.
As the puck was dropped, Wilson threw his elbow right into Cuylle’s face before the two skaters joined the play.
The 22-year-old never lost his composure in going up against the player he once said he modeled his game after growing up.
“It’s been good,” Cuylle said of the sequences with Wilson. “Obviously, you want to compete out there against other competitors. I used to watch him a lot when I was younger. It’s pretty cool.”
For most rookies it might’ve been a surreal moment, jawing with a player you aspired to play like.
Cuylle hasn’t been a stereotypical rookie, however, so his perception was a little different.
“Not quite [surreal],” he said. “More so just makes me elevate my game a little bit more and ups my intensity a bit.”
Cuylle is getting his first taste of playoff hockey after playing in 81 of 82 regular-season games this season.
Skating on the left wing of the third line next to Alex Wennberg and Kaapo Kakko, Cuylle’s physical style of play has translated to the postseason seamlessly.
In 16:25 of ice time through the first two games, the trio hasn’t been on the ice for any goals, for or against.
They’ve out-attempted opponents 7-5 and been on the right side of a 3-1 edge in high-danger chances, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Head coach Peter Laviolette said he noticed the third line a lot more in Game 1 than he did in Game 2, but chalked it up to the team as a whole not playing as sharply as it did in the series opener.
“I’m just trying to play the same game I have all year,” Cuylle said. “Obviously, it’s been more intense and every shift has been more intense. Overall, my game and game plan, I’m just trying to stick to what I know and what I’ve done.”
Filip Chytil was to travel to Washington with the Rangers for Games 3 and 4.
The Czech center continues to practice with the Blueshirts and work his way back from a suspected concussion that’s kept him out of the lineup since the 11th game of the regular season.
It’s unlikely Laviolette will make a lineup change after going up 2-0 in the first-round series against Washington, but Chytil’s presence on the road is an encouraging sign for an eventual return.
Wennberg took a maintenance day Thursday and didn’t skate with the team.
Chytil served as a placeholder in the lineup between Cuylle and Kakko.