Chad Ruhwedel didn’t dress in Pittsburgh, his home for 326 games, but he still got a moment of recognition from his old fans. During the first television timeout, the Penguins played a tribute video on the Jumbotron. Ruhwedel watched from the press box, a smile creeping onto his face as the video showed him lifting the Stanley Cup in 2017. He waved to the cheering crowd at the end and patted his heart in appreciation.
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Ruhwedel is excited to play for the division-leading New York Rangers, who acquired him for a 2027 fourth-round pick at the trade deadline, but he said his time in Pittsburgh “meant everything” to him.
“It was pretty much home for my wife and me,” he said after the trade. “We started our family there. … Just a lot of really great memories that I’ll cherish for a long time.”
The defenseman has yet to appear in a game since getting dealt to the Rangers on March 8, but that could change Tuesday against Winnipeg. Defenseman Ryan Lindgren left Sunday’s game with an apparent leg injury, and Ruhwedel will slot in if Lindgren remains out.
Ruhwedel was at the Penguins’ rink on deadline day when he was called into Kyle Dubas’ office. The 33-year-old knew a trade was possible, but his mind raced as he walked in. He also had no clue where he would be headed but was pleased when Dubas told him it was New York.
The veteran now has a chance to be on a contending team once again, and he knows what postseason crowds at Madison Square Garden are like. He played in all seven games when the Rangers eliminated the Penguins in 2022.
“Playoffs are the most fun time of year, the best hockey there is,” he said. “Fortunate to (have played) in a playoff series here as a visiting team. Great, crazy atmosphere. I’m sure it’ll be a little better as the home team.”
Before heading to New York, Ruhwedel met up with longtime Penguins forward Jake Guentzel, whom the Carolina Hurricanes had acquired.
“We were kind of in it together, getting dealt,” Ruhwedel said. “Bouncing ideas and logistics off each other, it was good.”
They had time to kill before their flights out of Pittsburgh, so they also met up with longtime teammate Bryan Rust. Rust’s wife, Kelsey, posted a picture on her Instagram story of the three longtime teammates smiling together.
“(T)he saddest day saying goodbye to two of the very best hockey families,” she wrote. “Truly at a loss for words. (Eight) years together, raising boys together, Cup wins and countless memories.”
idk about everyone else but i’m crying pic.twitter.com/0GJEyzVgvR
— liv (@livk5871) March 10, 2024
“A really reliable player, teammate and a great guy,” Sidney Crosby told reporters in Pittsburgh.
The Rangers acquired Ruhwedel to fill a role as a depth defenseman. He had four points in 47 games with the Penguins this year and averaged 12:33 of ice time per game. With Jacob Trouba recovering from a lower-body injury, there appeared to be a slot for him in the lineup, but coach Peter Laviolette has instead turned to Zac Jones. The 23-year-old Jones has been a healthy scratch much of the year, and Laviolette has praised him for remaining committed and positive while out. Now the younger defenseman is getting an extended opportunity, which has kept Ruhwedel from debuting.
That didn’t stop the Penguins from giving him a proper, well-earned sendoff.
Chad Ruhwedel isn’t in the lineup but got a really nice tribute and ovation from the Pittsburgh crowd. He saluted from the press box. pic.twitter.com/tEVLOhpD99
— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) March 16, 2024
Ruhwedel leads off this roundup, which includes some notes from the recent road trip as well as the Rangers’ win Sunday against the Islanders.
Cooper praises ‘hard to pierce’ Rangers
In the leadup to the Rangers-Lightning showdown, Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper heaped praise on New York and goaltender Igor Shesterkin.
“Much like any team in this league, when the goaltending is up to snuff, the team is doing pretty well, and I think their guy in net is showing why he’s one of the best in the game,” he said. “I think they follow the lead from him. The one thing about the Rangers: They just don’t give up a ton. … They’re hard to pierce. That’s a big challenge for us. It’s why they’re at the top of the standings: because they know how to defend.”
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Cooper’s words might have put a temporary jinx on the Rangers. Tampa Bay’s offensive stars took over the second half of the game Thursday night, and Laviolette acknowledged the Rangers gave up too much defensively Saturday against the Penguins. Some of that could be because of a difficult schedule. New York just wrapped up a stretch of six games in nine days. It’s a tired team.
After the poor defensive showings against Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh, Laviolette’s bunch responded against the New York Islanders, leading the game in expected goals and scoring chances, per Natural Stat Trick. They looked more like the defensively sound team Cooper raved about.
“They’ve always been — I’ll be honest — a pain in the a– to play against because they’re a really good team,” the Lightning coach said.
Newcomer update
Jack Roslovic is getting less ice time since coming to the Rangers than he did with the Columbus Blue Jackets, but he’s brought offense to New York’s top line. He has three points in six games since the trade and fed Mika Zibanejad for a goal against the Islanders.
WHAT A RIP. 🚀 pic.twitter.com/v8Xy9hjAzn
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 17, 2024
“He’s been awesome,” linemate Chris Kreider said. “Great kid, great player.”
One key for Roslovic will be how he fits in defensively going forward. The line with him, Kreider and Zibanejad has outscored opponents 5-1 at five-on-five, but they’ve actually been outchanced, according to Natural Stat Trick. The Rangers have only 44 percent of the expected goal share with that trio on the ice.
Alex Wennberg has continued to be as advertised. He has three assists in six games and has jumped immediately onto the penalty kill. He was likely asked to do too much in Seattle but has looked more than capable of the third-line center role.
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Other notes
• Watching Nikita Kucherov and Artemi Panarin play is exciting for just about everyone, except perhaps opposing defenders.
“I think it’s kind of fun to watch Panarin and Kuch on the ice together and then (Andrei Vasilevskiy) and Shesterkin in the net,” Cooper said. “It’s a little mini storyline.”
Panarin and Kucherov are two of the top wingers in the league. Panarin will likely appear on Hart Trophy ballots this year and Kucherov is in contention to win it.
“He’s a beautiful player,” Panarin said. “Always nice to see him on the ice. I enjoy his game.”
• The Rangers have been without Matt Rempe, who was suspended for four games for elbowing New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler. The Rangers went 3-1-0 without him, but he’s eligible to come back against Winnipeg.
• Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh spent time in the Rangers organization with the Hartford Wolf Pack. While there, he overlapped with several current Rangers, including Jonny Brodzinski, who scored against the Islanders.
Brodzinski had a tough game against Tampa Bay, committing a costly turnover in the second period, but has been a feel-good story for New York this season. He has played a career-high 46 games and earned a two-year, one-way extension, meaning he’ll make the same $787,500 annual salary no matter if he’s in the NHL or AHL.
Raddysh still occasionally talks to Brodzinski and was excited to see his play culminate in a new contract.
“That’s awesome for him and his family,” Raddysh said. “He’s played hockey for a long time and has worked hard. To see him finally get a one-way contract, that’s huge for him.”
Raddysh also got an early look at Will Cuylle, who scored his 12th goal of the season against the Islanders.
“He deserves everything he’s worked for,” Raddysh said. “He’s going to get dirty. He’s going to play hard. That’s the type of role he’s going to play in the NHL. It’s worked well for him this season.”
(Photo of Chad Ruhwedel skating during warmups: Jared Silber / NHLI via Getty Images)