Hartnett: Rangers' Rookie Skjei Proving To Be Real Deal

By Sean Hartnett
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It's not easy to be thrown into the intensity of the NHL playoffs after logging just seven career regular season games, but Brady Skjei has adapted quickly and is thriving under pressure.

Which is why the Rangers appear to have something special in the 22-year-old defenseman.

With Ryan McDonagh missing from the lineup, Skjei has done an excellent job emulating the captain's two-way steadiness. Head coach Alain Vigneault trusted the smooth-skating blue liner with 19:02 of ice time, including crucial minutes on the penalty kill and power play, during the Rangers' 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.

MORE: Hartnett: Rangers' Big Guns Rise To The Occasion After Vigneault's Challenge

Vigneault played Skjei mostly on his natural left side during Game 2, but when he tested him on the right side for much of the third period, the youngster looked equally comfortable. Simply put, Skjei doesn't look like an over-awed rookie. He looks the part.

During Sunday's media conference call, Vigneault noted Skjei's ability to play on the right side. This could be an important factor when McDonagh returns to game action. With McDonagh, Keith Yandle and Marc Staal as the regular three left-sided defensemen, it's very possible Skjei moves to the right side once McDonagh is given the green light to return.

Vigneault said during the conference call that he doesn't believe McDonagh and alternate captain Dan Girardi will practice on Monday and both are considered "day-to-day." The Rangers have a noon practice scheduled for noon Monday at MSG Training Center. The series resumes with Game 3 on Tuesday at The Garden.

During the preseason, Skjei kept a focused eye on McDonagh, soaking in the captain's wisdom. For years, he had studied McDonagh's tendencies closely.

"In the last five or six years, I really liked watching McDonagh," Skjei said at the time. "He plays the game unbelievable. He's very good in his own zone, very good in the offensive zone. I talked to him for about 20 minutes. He was breaking down things that the organization does. He's an unbelievable guy, a lot of class.

"I think that they play an up-and-down type of game," he continued. "They like their d-men joining the rush. So I think I'd use my skating ability to my advantage, get up in the play and play that style of hockey."

Watching Skjei during the preseason, his maturity stood out immediately. He wasn't overwhelmed by the challenge of being matched up against experienced forwards. No task seemed overwhelming.

"One thing I definitely wanted to focus on coming in was to be confident and not to 'shy down' from seasoned guys in the NHL," Skjei said following his September preseason debut. "I thought I played my game and tried to keep my nerves below me. I thought I did a pretty good job."

Vigneault also revealed that Raphael Diaz will practice with the Rangers on Monday. With Dylan McIlrath only skating for 9:07 in Game 2, it's possible that Vigneault could opt to dress Diaz for Game 3. Diaz collected six goals and 15 assists in 37 games for AHL Hartford this season.

Follow Sean on Twitter at @HartnettHockey