Rangers coach impressed with rookie’s NHL debut: ‘Thought he was trying to make difference’
It was hard not to notice to the smallest player on the ice Monday night at Madison Square Garden. Brett Berard was flying in his NHL debut. And despite a few hiccups, the 5-foot-9 forward largely made a positive first impression in the New York Rangers’ 5-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues.
“I thought he worked really hard out there,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said postgame. “I thought he was trying to make a difference.”
The 22-year-old was recalled from Hartford of the American Hockey League in part because the Rangers needed a jolt in their lineup. Berard is a ball of energy, fast, determined and always on the go. He fit the bill for part of what’s ailing in the Rangers, who have lost three straight and are mired in a 7-7-0 stretch of mediocre play the past month or so.
With Chris Kreider sidelined day to day with an upper-body injury and Filip Chytil missing his fifth straight game with an upper-body issue, Berard played in the top six on a line with Mika Zibanejad and Will Cuylle. In fact, he was in the starting lineup, the first of 19 shifts on the night for the rookie, who logged 11:13 TOI.
“It means everything. It’s what I’ve always dreamed of,” Berard said after his first NHL game. “There’s really no words to describe the feelings I had the past 24 hours. It was awesome to have family and friends here … looking forward to seeing everybody and building off of tonight.”
Berard’s mother and father were seen high-fiving in the Garden stands when he picked picked up an assist on Cuylle’s second goal that tied the game 2-2 at 7:20 of the second period. His first NHL point was a secondary assist after his wraparound shot was stopped by Blues goalie Joel Hofer; the rebound kicked out to Zibanejad, who fed Cuylle for a wide-open look and his ninth goal of the season.
Cuylle and Berard know each other pretty well, each selected in the 2020 NHL Draft. Cuylle was New York’s second-round pick (No. 60 overall); Berard was a fifth-round selection (No. 134).
“It’s awesome. He’s had a great year,” Berard said. “He was awesome to me when I first signed here, those first three games in Hartford (at the end of the 2022-23 season). So, just to come in here, have a familiar face, be able to play with him tonight … yeah, hopefully we can keep building off of it.”
Related: 3 takeaways from Rangers 5-2 loss to Blues
Rangers rookie Brett Berard soaks in first NHL game: ‘It was awesome’
Berard leads Hartford with seven goals and 13 points in 16 games this season. He had a team-high 25 goals as a rookie pro last season and was among the Rangers’ final cuts at training camp this fall.
How long he stays in the NHL is not known just yet. If Kreider and Chytil (who skated again Monday) return soon, Berard could be sent back to the AHL to play heavy minutes. It’s the old sports adage, one day at a time.
In the meantime, Berard made sure to take it all in Monday at MSG. That included the traditional solo skate to start warmups prior to his NHL debut.
“I don’t know if anything was really going through my mind — don’t fall, I guess,” Berard said about leading the Rangers out for warmups. “It was awesome. It was everything you watch on Instagram and social media. The rookie laps, it’s something you always strive for and get there.”
Berard was on ice for St. Louis’ first two goals of the game, one each in the first two periods, before Cuylle’s second-period goal. He finished minus-1 with the assist, two shots on goal, five shot attempts, one hit and one takeaway.
The Rangers had an 8-7 advantage in scoring chances with Berard on the ice, though allowed five high-danger chances in that span (and only had two for), per Natural Stat Trick.
He also played on the second power-play unit with Cuylle, Kaapo Kakko, Reilly Smith and Zac Jones. During a first-period power play, Berard made a slick behind-the-back pass to Kakko on right wing, but Kakko prime scoring chance was snuffed out by Hofer.
Berard will take part in his first practice with the Rangers on Tuesday and then will wait to see if he remains in the lineup for a crucial Metropolitan Division showdown with the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh on Wednesday.
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