With both Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh out of the lineup with injuries, rookies Brady Skjei and Dylan McIlrath stepped in. They were the first pair of Rangers freshmen to do so since McDonagh and Michael Sauer played in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals at Washington on April 23, 2011.
Skjei, who played 19:02, was credited with his first point in his ninth NHL game, an assist on Derick Brassard’s goal at 12:56 of the second.
“It’s good to get one,” said Skjei, 21, who said he didn’t have time to think about it. “You just keep playing .