LAS VEGAS — When the Rangers’ defense took a couple hits after the holiday recess, Zac Jones was recalled from the taxi squad and suddenly, there was some lineup competition.
The Rangers haven’t had many players battle it out for spots since the start of the season, considering a majority of the lineup changes have been made based on who is available game-to-game. Jones may have made his season debut Sunday against the Lightning because of personnel hurdles, with Ryan Lindgren in COVID-19 protocol and Patrik Nemeth sidelined due to personal reasons, but the 21-year-old blueliner has remained in the lineup despite Lindgren’s return.
Jones, who skated in his third straight game Thursday night against the Golden Knights, said that he’s tried not to view his current situation as the big opportunity that it is.
“I’m not really worried about it,” Jones said after Wednesday’s practice. “I mean, obviously, guys are getting healthy, so I know that it’s a battle for those six spots every night. I’m just trying to go out and play my game, and whatever the coaching staff and management decide to do, they decide to do.”
Head coach Gerard Gallant said Jones has earned his playing time, and it’s not just about getting a look at the UMass product.
Edging out rookie Nils Lundkvist in the past two games entering Thursday, Jones has been partnered with Libor Hajek on the Rangers’ third pairing. Hajek is in the midst of his most extended look of the season, having competed in the past nine games entering Thursday.
Lundkvist has fluctuated in and out of the lineup since he was sidelined for four games with a non-COVID illness before the holiday break, but the Swede had played 24 games this season entering Thursday — the most out of the three young defensemen.
Zac Jones has stayed in the lineup even as other Rangers have returned to their usual spots. Pool photo
“It’s always a friendly competition with everybody, and we all know that,” Jones added. “There’s a couple spots that we’re all fighting for, so it’s a good healthy competition we have here.”
Jones said the 10 games he played with the Rangers last season made his first NHL contest this year that much easier. Even though his legs were a little heavy after the first period of his season debut on Sunday, Jones noted that his increased confidence helped tremendously.
His confidence level is something that Jones said he worked on while in AHL Hartford, in addition to rounding out his defensive game. Offense has always come naturally to Jones, who quarterbacked the top power-play unit at UMass, so he wasn’t worried when he had just four assists through the first 10 games of the AHL season.
Jones has four goals and 13 assists for 17 points in 21 games with the Wolf Pack this season.
“I like the way he skates and his head is up there,” Gallant said. “He moves the puck real well. His first shift the other night he got toasted by Brayden Point, but who doesn’t get toasted by Brayden Point? You know, he rebounded from it. That’s good.”
That play with Point was his welcome-back-to-the-NHL moment, Jones said. But, as Gallant pointed out, Jones didn’t let it impact the rest of his night.
“That’s something that I’ve tried to work on in Hartford, is trying not to be too hard on myself after a mistake,” Jones said. “I think that’s a part of my game that’s improved tremendously.”
