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Braden Schneider said he has noticed a difference in the way the game flows at the NHL level, and the rookie defenseman hasn’t played like a rookie for the Rangers.
Schneider is only 20 and will be skating in just his 13th NHL game on Sunday against the Senators. The novelty has not worn off yet, no matter how much his steady play has said otherwise. Skating alongside the top players in the world and having to know what you want to do on the ice before the moment even comes is still something Schneider is adjusting to.
As he has collected more games under his belt, however, Schneider said he has felt more comfortable.
“I think each game I definitely feel more confident and more part of the goal that everyone’s trying to be going after, which is to go into the playoffs and have a good run and hopefully get to the Stanley Cup,” he said after practice on Saturday. “Each day I’m more and more confident and it’s been a lot of fun.”
Aside from scoring in his NHL debut against the Sharks on Jan. 13, Schneider said the Rangers’ 5-2 win over the Panthers before the two-week break was the most memorable for him so far. Between playing against one of the top teams in the league and coming away with a win in the fashion the Rangers did, the game has stuck with Schneider.
Schneider has logged the most minutes while playing next to Patrik Nemeth, who is currently on injured reserve. He also skated alongside Ryan Lindgren when Adam Fox was sidelined with an upper-body injury prior to the two-week recess.
Having also teamed with Zac Jones and Libor Hajek, Schneider noted that he feels he has been able to get on the same page with each of his partners on defense rather quickly. While he was with the AHL Wolf Pack earlier in the season, Schneider primarily played alongside Matthew Robertson, but he saw some reps with Jones as well.
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“That’s part of it,” head coach Gerard Gallant said of how many defensive partners Schneider has had. “You can’t worry about who you’re playing with on any given night. Fortunately for us we had our forward groups pretty much together, so you’d like to play with those guys — it’s familiarity. But in our game, with COVID and injuries happening, it’s good to play with everybody.
“I think he’s done a great job and he played with different partners in the minors. That’s definitely helped.”
The Rangers clarified Nemeth’s designation to injured reserve is retroactive to Jan. 23, meaning the veteran defenseman — who The Post first reported is dealing with lingering effects from his COVID-19 infection in December — can be activated as soon as he’s ready.
Nemeth skated on the third pair in practice on Saturday alongside Schneider, while Jones lined up next to Hajek. Gallant wouldn’t say if Nemeth would be available against the Senators, or if the 30-year-old would make the trip to Ottawa.
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