No kidding.
As the Rangers continue their somewhat miraculous run through the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs, three of the team’s pillars of the future have started becoming a bigger piece of their present.
While not as catchy as the “Perfection Line” or the “French Connection,” the Rangers’ “Kid Line” — Alexis Lafreniere, Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil — has been making a name for itself, culminating in a big-time night on Wednesday.
The Kid Line accounted for five points (two goals, three assists) in New York’s 6-2 win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Lightning, doing their finest work during an epic second period shift that ended in a Chytil goal, his second of the night:
Heres that entire shift by the kid line for you Rangers gang pic.twitter.com/KtFwjwfbUa
— Andrew (@based_shesty) June 2, 2022
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While coach Gerard Gallant has tried juggling lines during the postseason at times to get some more offensive production and fewer defensive lapses, the Kid Line has remained largely untouched, and as ESPN’s Sean McDonough so eloquently put on Wednesday, they’re growing up right before our eyes.
Here’s what you need to know about the Rangers’ emerging stars:
Who is the Rangers’ Kid Line?
The Kid Line is comprised of Filip Chytil, Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko. Two of the three are just barely old enough to buy a beer, and all three forwards are former first-round picks:
— Filip Chytil is the “elder statesman” of the group at age 22: The Czech forward was selected in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft, when he was just 18 years old. He made his NHL debut that season, playing in 75 games for the Rangers and amassing 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in that span.
Maybe call him “Heatle,” because he’s getting red hot. He’s got seven goals in 15 games during the playoffs, as opposed to the eight goals he scored during the regular season.
— Kaapo Kakko was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, selected after Devils forward Jack Hughes. Kakko opened eyes during the 2019 World Championships for Finland, when he was a boy amongst men — but played like a man amongst boys. He netted six goals in 10 games en route to the gold medal, with seven points total.
The 21-year-old has been the least effective member of the line during the playoffs, but he’s still played a strong puck possession game allowing the Blueshirts to cycle and move the puck effectively in the offensive zone.
— Alexis Lafrenière is the youngest member of the Kid Line at 20 and the No. 1 overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft. Lafreniere’s confidence has started to shine through his game during the playoffs, creating more space for himself to both shoot and distribute.
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The trio has combined for 110 minutes on the ice during the playoffs through Game 1 of the ECF, scoring nine goals in that span, and despite being the third line in title, they’re emerging as the Rangers’ most productive line in all three zones during the postseason. They’re also one of the top lines remaining in per-60 minute production, with 4.88 goals per 60 minutes,
It hasn’t all been sunshine and goals for the Kid Line during the playoffs: Through the first two rounds, the Kid Line was pretty poor defensively, resulting in Gallant breaking them up briefly to try and stabilize the defense as well as give Lafreniere top-line minutes.
That experiment ultimately didn’t last long, with the Kid Line reemerging in the the Hurricanes series and the Lafreniere-Chytil-Kakko combo scoring four goals and allowing none.
If they keep playing this way, they’ll be the “Grown Up Line” in no time.