It has been simply over 10 months since Sammy Blais competed in a hockey recreation.
The 26-year-old winger is coming off a season-ending ACL tear that he suffered in his 14th recreation as a Ranger final season. He was memorably tripped up within the nook by since-retired defenseman P.Ok. Subban. Coincidentally, Blais made his triumphant return to recreation motion within the Rangers’ third preseason contest Thursday night time towards the Devils, the workforce the Blueshirts had been enjoying when the damage occurred.
“Once I take into consideration what I’ve been by means of all yr and all of the onerous work that I needed to do, simply blissful it’s all prior to now,” Blais informed The Put up Thursday afternoon earlier than he recorded a blocked shot and 4 hits within the Rangers’ 5-2 loss to the Devils on the Backyard. “I’m not making an attempt to consider it an excessive amount of. I’m simply making an attempt to exit right here tonight and simply have enjoyable.”
Whereas skating in his first onerous practices and workforce scrimmages this previous week, Blais mentioned he spent the primary few days of coaching camp simply getting again into the swing of issues. His knee feels good, he mentioned, and there was no extra therapy crucial since he has returned to the ice.
Blais, who got here to New York because the characteristic return within the commerce that despatched Pavel Buchnevich to St. Louis final offseason, seems primed to choose up proper the place he left off on the time of his damage. After skating on the highest line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider in his last three video games final season, Blais has stepped proper again into that right-wing spot through the early days of camp and once more in his first exhibition recreation.
“I feel he simply provides one other ingredient to our line,” Zibanejad mentioned of Blais, who recorded 4 assists in 14 video games. “He could make performs, and he has a bodily edge to him as nicely. I really feel like he has that, like a joker card while you play any sort of card recreation, he can throw at you. He shocked not solely us typically, however plenty of occasions, it’s the opponent that we’re enjoying.
“By way of that, I feel we’re excited for him to get again and excited for me and Chris to play with him.”
In 33:19 of ice time collectively final season, Kreider, Zibanejad and Blais scored one purpose for to 2 targets towards. Zibanejad famous that Blais’ energy, talent and hockey IQ stood out to him final season, including that he proved to have a smooth set of fingers to associate with his bodily presence.
With regards to his position subsequent to Kreider and Zibanejad, Blais pointed to getting free pucks and enjoying huge on the forecheck. He additionally expressed confidence in his capacity to play with the puck, saying if there’s a play to be made, he’ll make it.
“It was enjoyable. Mika and Kreids are two unbelievable gamers,” Blais mentioned of enjoying on that line final season. “Two superstars within the league. So once I’m on the market with them, I’m simply making an attempt to convey them some area and play with the puck. I’m simply actually blissful. Taking part in with them makes my job quite a bit simpler.”
The Rangers are nonetheless in an evaluative interval in the case of their lineup. There have been a number of totally different combos on the ice by means of the primary few exhibition video games, however the winger rotation within the prime six has been the point of interest. Zibanejad and Kreider skated with Kaapo Kakko within the Rangers’ preseason-opening win over the Islanders, whereas Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck have but to get into an exhibition recreation.
“He had plenty of power,” Gallant mentioned of Blais. “He was operating round quite a bit and making an attempt to throw hits, however ran out of place just a few occasions. I appreciated his power and it’s been a very long time since he’s been capable of play towards one other workforce like that. Actual pleased with and blissful for him that he acquired by means of the sport and the whole lot went excellent.”
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