Defenseman Patrick Nemeth, who missed the final four games before the All-Star break due to a personal matter, was placed back on the Rangers roster but did not dress for Tuesday's game against the Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden went.
Zack Jones took his place in the lineup, playing on a completely rookie third defense pairing with Brayden Schneider
Nemeth, a 6-4, 230-pound veteran, practiced all four days after Rangers returned from a break on Friday, and partnered with Schneider in each of the final three. But Rangers recalled Jones from AHL Hartford on Saturday, and then-coach Gerard Gallant said he was not sure whether the team would have Nemeth available on Tuesday. On Monday, he still hadn't committed to providing Nemeth, but said the Swede had "four good days of practice".
Before the game, Gallant said it was not a personal issue that was keeping Nemeth out of the lineup.
"We don't think he's ready yet," said the coach. "We just want to give him a few more days, more time."
Nemeth, who turns 30 on February 8, signed a three-year, $7.5 million contract with the Rangers over the summer as a free agent. He has played 38 games with no goals, two assists, 12 penalty minutes and a minus-12 plus/minus rating.
Jones, 21, had played six games for Rangers before Tuesday, scoring one assist and a minus-3 rating.
Gallant was asked on Sunday if he would be comfortable playing two rookies simultaneously on the third pair.
"Never mind," he said. "I don't have a problem with that. They're both kids, they're both cheaters, but I don't mind the way they're playing."
Other scratches
In addition to Nemeth, other Rangers scratchers were de Liber Hajek and C/LW Morgan Baron. , , Boston was without two-thirds of its "perfection line", captain Patrice Bergeron was out with a head injury and LW Brad Marchand sat out the third game of his six-game suspension for trampling Pittsburgh goalkeeper Tristan Jerry last week. .