DENVER — The Rangers’ identity, which steadily evaporated until it was completely lost earlier this season, has begun to reshape at an opportune time.
Just as the team stacked two wins together for the first time since mid-November, in order to make it four victories in their past six games, the Blueshirts appear to be nearing full strength as they prepare to face a relatively hot Avalanche team on Tuesday night at Ball Arena.
Filip Chytil and Chris Kreider were full participants in practice on Monday, taking line rushes and power-play reps as if they were ready to return to the Rangers lineup from their respective upper-body injuries.
Head coach Peter Laviolette wouldn’t confirm, but all signs pointed to both forwards being available, whether on Tuesday or in the very near future.
While Chytil has only missed the past two games, the Rangers have gone 3-0-1 with Chris Kreider on injured reserve. Adding the two regulars back into the lineup should only benefit the team’s push to get back on track.
“I feel like we had a little bit of an identity crisis earlier this year,” K’Andre Miller told The Post after practice Monday at Joy Burns Arena at the University of Denver. “I think we’ve started to build on what we can do and what we can do well and kind of identify ourselves as.
“There’s a new level of compete and belief within the room. I think guys are willing to take that next step to kind of get over the hump and I think everyone is pulling just a little bit extra weight the last couple of games. Ever since we got back from break, there’s kind of a new vibe in the locker room.”
With the Rangers’ top six remaining the same, Kreider and Chytil were slotted onto the third line with newcomer Arthur Kaliyev.
And since the first power-play unit — featuring Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck, Alexis Lafreniere and Adam Fox — has collected four goals in the past three games, Laviolette opted to keep that intact, as well.
Kreider and Chytil both took reps on PP2 with Miller, Kaliyev and Reilly Smith, which was another positive indication of their availability for Tuesday. Will Cuylle rotated in, too.
After missing seven games at the end of November with an upper-body injury that was ruled not a concussion, which sidelined him for 72 of 82 games last regular season, Chytil again said it is not concussion-related issues ailing him.
Chytil noted it is more complicated than that but again wouldn’t divulge any more information.
“It’s just helping me to be better,” Chytil said of how consistently getting hurt as he’s heating up has affected him. “Of course, it sucks that I got to miss the time. I’ve missed so much time in my career. Every time I’m back, I just work hard. I just focus to be better. That’s just my goal. It’s the fuel for me to be better.
“It’s not like starting from zero every time, but it’s always the hurdle in the way and I believe that in the future, it’s going to come back for me in a good way. I’m positive about all these things.”
Look no further than the back-to-back overtime games, a 5-4 loss to the Stars and a 3-2 win over the Devils, as proof the Rangers’ fight has returned.
They represented the club’s first time reaching the extra period since the second game of the season against Utah.
Defending the rush and defense in general has been much improved. There’s a newfound commitment to the details and a determination in the way they’ve approached each game lately.
Players who were entrenched in debilitating slumps have seemingly gotten through the worst of it.
And now, the Rangers could have a fully healthy lineup to go with it.
“I think we’re playing better defensively, we’re playing more connected as a group,” Smith said. “Through that, we’re not giving up as many opportunities and we’re giving ourselves a chance to win every night. I think as a successful team, you have to do that. You have to beat the teams you should beat and then the teams that are playing well and the better teams in the league, you have to give yourself an opportunity to win.
“That’s got to be the mindset for the rest of the year: The games you need to win, you have to put those two points in the column. And the tough games, you have to make sure that you’re giving yourself an opportunity to pick up some points every night.”