With Vancouver forward Jake DeBrusk on his back, Brennan Othmann helped usher the puck out along the wall to Braden Schneider, who whipped it at the net for Adam Fox to tip in and tie Saturday afternoon’s game up at one-all on the way to the Rangers’ 4-3 victory over the Canucks.
And with it, the 22-year-old rookie finally had his first NHL point in his 16th career game.
The NHL’s situation room in Toronto then took away the secondary assist and gave it to Alexis Lafrenière, who had rimmed the puck around the zone.
Upon the Blueshirts’ request for a second — or third? — look, however, the point officially was returned to Othmann.
“At the start they said me, then they switched it to [Lafrenière]. We both kind of looked at each other and started laughing,” said Othmann, who was informed of the re-reversal by a reporter in the locker room after the game. “Now you just told me, so it’s pretty cool.”
“It’s nice to get it out of the way. Happy we won though and want to keep pushing for a playoff spot.”
Othmann’s first point came while he was skating in the top-six alongside J.T. Miller and Lafrenière.
Peter Laviolette had mixed up the forward lines after what the Rangers head coach described as a “dead” first period, which pushed Othmann into a rare appearance alongside players who skate on the first and second lines.
The Toronto native played some of his best hockey since making his NHL debut on Jan. 4, 2024 on Saturday, when he logged 4:19 of five-on-five ice time next to Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck, per Natural Stat Trick.
“It was great. You don’t know when that opportunity is going to come, so you want to do well,” said Othmann, who landed five hits in the win. “I think our first shift in the second period — playing with those guys is definitely different. You kind of want to read off them a little more. So the first shift was a bit rocky, then we got into penalties back and forth, so you kind of don’t get into a rhythm with them until the back half of the second period.
“When we got our shifts and we got it going consistently, I thought it was good. I felt good. It’s nice getting an opportunity with those types of players. I feel like I did well with them and created space with them.”
During his three-game cameo last season, Othmann spent each one on the third line next to Nick Bonino and Jonny Brodzinski
And while battling a nasty cold in preseason this season, he saw just two contests with top-six skaters.
One next to Panarin and the since-traded Filip Chytil and the other with Trocheck and Lafrenière.
Othmann spent the other exhibition games skating alongside Adam Erne and Brodzinski, Anton Blidh and Bo Groulx and Will Cuylle and Groulx.
Othmann, who recorded 50 goals and 97 points in 66 OHL games in 2021-22, has yet to start an NHL game in the top six.
After making his season debut on the fourth line next to Brodzinski and Matt Rempe, Othmann has spent a total of eight games next to those two.
He’s also seen three games with Juuso Parssinen and Brodzinski, as well as one with Brett Berard and Parssinen before starting Saturday’s contest with Parssinen and Rempe.
As much as it was a long-awaited first point for Othmann, it also was a long-awaited top-six look.
“I think it just takes a weight off my shoulders a little bit,” Othmann said of his assist. “Not that I needed it at the time. It just kind of feels good, knowing that you can contribute at this level a little bit. Especially in a game like that, every game from here on is a playoff game.”
The Rangers signed defenseman Jackson Dorrington, who was acquired from the Canucks in the Miller trade, to a three-year, entry-level contract Sunday.
Dorrington will report to the Hartford Wolf Pack on an amateur tryout for the remainder of season.
Coming off his junior season at Northeastern University, where he posted two goals and 13 assists in 37 games this season, Dorrington turns pro at age 20.
