Hannah Foslien-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/c826e27f-fc72-4f8a-b0fb-02f3c04ac10d.jpeg] Hannah Foslien-Imagn Images Adam Fox returned to the New York Rangers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/]’ lineup on Wednesday afternoon after a 14-game absence with a shoulder injury. It was a long month for Fox, who injured his shoulder in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Nov. 29, which ultimately led to a stint on long-term injured reserve. “I mean it sucks when you're away,” Fox said. “Obviously, it was an unfortunate situation. Just happy to be back. Obviously, just trying to help the team as much as I can while I’m back.” The 27-year-old defenseman made an immediate impact in his first game back, recording one goal, one assist, and two points, while posting a total of 21:13 minutes in a 6-3 loss to the Washington Capitals. “I thought he had a strong game,” Mike Sullivan said of Fox. “I thought he played real well. I think you can see the impact that he has on our team.” With Fox out of the lineup, every Rangers' defenseman was forced to take on an elevated workload. The power play was negatively impacted during Fox’s absence. Sullivan opted to utilize a five-forward first power-play unit before putting Scott Morrow and Vladislav Gavrikov in Fox’s usual quarterback role. On top of leading the Rangers in minutes before his injury, Fox is one of the team’s top defensive players and helps drive offense. It was evident without Fox that the Rangers struggled to consistently create offense, and their defensive core was unbalanced. “We're asking guys to play certain roles that they're not accustomed to, and could be a stretch for some of them,” Sullivan said of how Fox’s absence impacted the team “I think the guys are competing hard in Foxy's absence, but, obviously, when your top defenseman isn't in the lineup – pick any team – that has ramifications. And they're hard guys to replace. “It's not to say that we can't be competitive and that it provides opportunities for others to step up and play a more significant role. And that's how careers grow also, with those types of opportunities. I just think that's part of today's NHL.” Upon activating Fox off of LTIR, the Rangers sent Morrow back down to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League.
