Phillip Chilt, a 21-year-old Rangers center who missed the first 14 matches this season with an arm injury and contracted the Covd-19 while he was out – shot in some Q&A with The Post’s Steve Serby Let’s take it.
Q: Are you fun to watch for fans?
A: Yes.
Q: Why?
A: When I get a puck, I can make good, smart plays for teammates, I can play a few tricks one by one. I like going one by one with defenders. It’s one part of my game, and it’s good to see.
Q: If you were a fan, would you buy tickets to watch Phillip play hockey?
A: Yes.
Q: Who will you buy tickets to see?
A: I like to see Matthew Barzal [the] Islanders, I like to see Patrick Kane, I like to see David Pastrnak. There are a lot of players, but I like those three players.
Q: How is your confidence now?
A: I think all confidence is growing, and I need more confidence and that is what I need to work on.
Q: How do you maintain your speed?
A: It comes naturally, but you need to work on it to be faster and faster. It is about hard work, dedication and everything you put into the gym. I want to be strong and that makes me faster and makes me a better hockey player.
Q: What are you like on ice?
A: The person who wants to score goals, who wants to help the team win because there is nothing better than winning. My family, my girlfriend, my friends, they know who I am, they know how I’m behaving on ice and on ice. I want to win I would love to win.
Q: Do you ever get angry on ice?
A: Yes, yes, many times.
Q: When you were sidelined with your hand injury for over a month, why was it disappointing?
A: I was watching the game and I couldn’t go on the ice. I couldn’t help the team, and I couldn’t do what I love most.
Q: What impresses you about Chris Kreider’s game?
A: His speed. He has a goal-scoring mentality. His game is about speed, catching the net. In my opinion the man who needs every team.
Q: Both of you are known for their speed, so how is their game different from your game?
A: He’s a winger, I’m a center. I am more like a playwright, but also scoring goals. But I can learn from him.
Q: Who is faster, you or him?
A: (Laughs) I like to say. If he was here, he wouldn’t agree, but I’d have to say it myself (laughs).
Question: Artemi Panarin?
One: Everyone can see when something is happening on the ice. Incredible player. It’s really amazing to play when you’re on ice with him. He is a great playwright, he can score goals. He is one of the league’s best players.
Q: Capo Cacco?
A: He is showing how confident he is, how strong he is on the puck.
Q: Igor Shesterkin?
Izumi: He makes so many great saves. I don’t think he is as big as other goals in the NHL, but his position and his pace are unbelievable.
Q: Why did you like Jerome Jagr so much?
A: He is strong, he has a big body. He scores a lot of goals, great playwright. We have a similar body so it was good for me to watch him grow up, and now I use what I was looking for in my game. He is a legend in the Czech Republic, and he is a legend throughout the hockey world.
Q: You tested positive for COVID-19 last month?
A: I probably had some cough, but it wasn’t as bad.
Question: Your best moment in hockey?
Winning gold for the Czech Republic in the under-18 world tournament, being drafted by the Rangers, and the first NHL goal.
Q: Three dinner guests.
A: Cristiano Ronaldo; Rafael Nadal; Michael Jordan.
Question: What was it like going to the US Open?
A: It was exciting. I went there twice. I was going there to see Rafa Nadal, he is one of my favorite athletes.
Question: What was the baseball game watching at City Field?
One: I don’t know the rules in baseball much. But I enjoyed it.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: Anything with Adam Sandler.
Q: Favorite actor?
One: Adam Sandler.
Q: Who is the funniest ranger?
One: Ryan Storm.
Q: What makes him so funny?
A: How he talks to everyone, how he’s a great guy. He jokes a lot.
Q: Favorite actress?
One: Jennifer Aniston. I was watching friends grow up.
Q: Favorite singer?
A: Tktor.
Q: Favorite food?
A: I like to eat Czech. I like rabbit, chicken, steak. My favorite food is probably rabbit and potato.
Q: Do you eat rabbits here in New York?
A: No, no. It is at home because my grandparents farm, they have a lot of animals. They cook for me or my mom cooks for me.
Question: Career goals?
A: Of course the team is winning the trophy in the Stanley Cup. Win the world championship for my country. Try to win individual trophies too because you too can help the team so much. But my biggest goal is to win the Stanley Cup.
Q: What do you like about New York City?
A: It’s a little different from all the cities in the Czech Republic (laughs).
Question: Describe your hometown.
A: My hometown probably has 1,000 people living in the village. I live in a small village near Slovakia. Nice forest, nice lakes all around.
Q: What do you like about this Rangers team?
A: We are hungry. We are a very young team that wants to win. We are fast, we are efficient. We have everything this team needs.
Question: Can this team make it to the playoffs?
A: Yes.
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