For the first time since undergoing jaw surgery in the preseason, Ryan Lindgren shed the bubble helmet for practice on Saturday.
“You kind of got used to it,” Lindgren told The Post before the Rangers departed for Seattle to begin their first four-game road trip of the season. “But it’s really nice to get it off, for sure.”
Thursday’s 3-2 win over the Sharks was the last game Lindgren planned to wear the bulky full face shield, after having to play through it for his first 10 games of the 2024-25 campaign.
Lindgren wore the cage for a couple games last season, when he hurt his eye, which had to get stitched up after he took a stick to the face in the Stadium Series.
This time around, however, it was a much longer stretch and much heavier equipment given the nature of his jaw injury.
The helmet decreased in size as the extra padded add-ons — particularly around the jaw and chin area — came off.
“I think more so when I had the guard in with the chin,” he said of the obstacles he faced playing with that kind of helmet. “Just your vision, that kind of messes with it a little bit. When we took that out and it was just the shield, you don’t really notice it.”
Lindgren was a step behind through his first stretch of the season, a natural byproduct of having no preseason and coming off jaw surgery.
There were issues clearing the puck and winning 50-50 puck battles.
Coming back and not lining up alongside Adam Fox, who he has played most of his hockey career with, was another adjustment Lindgren had to make in his first five games back.
Coach Peter Laviolette said he thought Lindgren has gotten better, especially now that he is starting to feel better and more up to speed.
“It was tough,” Lindgren said of his transition back to the ice. “I didn’t obviously get to play in any preseason games. Jumping into that first game back in Montreal, I hadn’t played in like six months. You’re just a little rusty. I think it’s just like anything, the more you play, the better you feel, the more comfortable. I feel like I’m starting to feel back to normal now.”
Matt Rempe was back on the right wing Friday night for the AHL Wolf Pack, skating on the third line with Adam Sykora and Jake Leschyshyn.
