Rangers veteran ‘complemented’ 4th line in return to lineup against Islanders
After missing the first 10 games of the 2024-25 season, Jimmy Vesey returned to the New York Rangers lineup Sunday for a 5-2 win against the New York Islanders. It marked the first time this season that the Rangers were completely healthy and didn’t have anyone sidelined.
The Rangers also began the season without defenseman Ryan Lindgren, who missed five games with a jaw injury sustained in the preseason. Vesey was on LTIR following a lower-body injury sustained in a training camp practice.
“Unfortunately, I missed some of training camp, so trying to get my legs here on the fly, but that was a good start and hope I can build off it,” Vesey said after his season debut Sunday.
Skating on the fourth line with center Sam Carrick and left wing Adam Edstrom, Vesey logged 10 shifts and totaled 8:28 in ice time. The 31-year-old was eased back into action and did not skate at all on the penalty kill, where he’s been a force the past two seasons in New York.
Though it was limited action, coach Peter Laviolette was happy with what he saw from Vesey and his linemates.
“He was really good. Just my eyeballing him, watching them play, they got it (the puck) out, they got it into the offensive zone, they generated chances. I thought they were really good, all three of them,” Laviolette explained postgame. “It was really good to have Jimmy back in there, and he jumped in there and really complemented that line.”
The fourth line only had an xGF of 35.22 percent, per Natural Sta Trick, but it appeared to pass the eye test, as Laviolette alluded to. That stat would have been better, but when Edstrom scored his first goal of the season in the third period, Vesey was not on the ice — Reilly Smith was out there — otherwise the fourth line’s umbers would’ve looked a bit better.
Related: 3 Rangers takeaways from win against Islanders
Jimmy Vesey believes Rangers 4th line ‘could’ve had 3 goals’
Vesey finished with two shots on goal, one hit and one takeaway Sunday. The line combined for five shots on goal and six hits.
“I thought we skated well, forechecked and turned some pucks over,” Vesey said. “We had a few shifts where we sustained that offense and were cycling around the zone. I thought we could’ve had three goals tonight.”
With Vesey back in the lineup, Jonny Brodzinski was the healthy scratch. Brodzinski has one goal and one assist in seven games. Matt Rempe was assigned to Hartford after the popular 22-year-old played only three games, seeing very limited action in each.
Edstrom’s been the big — no pun intended for the 6-foot-6 forward — surprise on the fourth line. He had a great rookie camp, excellent preseason and has played in each of the first 11 games. The 24-year-old has two points (one goal, one assist), 17 penalty minutes and been very steady averaging 7:42 TOI. He even had the first fight at any level of hockey, when he dropped the gloves with Jack McBain of the Utah Hockey Club early in October.
Then there was his first goal of the season, third of his young career, Sunday. Go to the net, good things happen.
Vesey and Co. practice Monday and Wednesday, with a scheduled day off in between, before returning to game action Thursday at MSG when they host the Buffalo Sabres.
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