Buffalo Sabres defenseman Brandon Montour (62) and New York Rangers forward Phillip Di Giuseppe (33) battle for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes) Credit: AP/Jeffrey T. Barnes
With everyone healthy and the roster full, the Rangers find themselves with two extra forwards, meaning two healthy scratches for every game. On Tuesday, it was Julien Gauthier, who exited the lineup after having played seven straight games, and Brett Howden, who rejoined the team Monday after completing his COVID-19 protocol.
Phillip DiGiuseppe, who had been scratched Saturday against Buffalo to make room for Vitali Kravtsov to make his NHL debut, returned to the lineup Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.