COVID-19 is certainly playing tricks on National League teams and their players, but for one evening, she smiled at former Montreal Canadiens defender Jarred Tinordi.
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A signatory to a two-year, $ 1.8 million contract with the New York Rangers during the offseason, the imposing 6’6 ” athlete had just been required to steer clear of the coronavirus before to reunite with his teammates last week. Then, Patrick Nemeth submitted to the protocol of the National League, which allowed Tinordi to participate in Saturday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks.
Even though it was his first ever meeting in the league since November 21 and his sixth in 2021-2022, he made his presence felt, scoring the decisive goal in the third period in a 4-1 victory. low usage is obviously an obstacle, he said, but he must be prepared for any eventuality, especially in these times of pandemic.
“When you haven’t been there for a while, I think you just have to have the right frame of mind,” he told Daily New York Post. These guys are doing a great job. On the other hand, my body is ready. It’s a way of approaching everything to keep it simple. ”
The hockey player who has only recorded 108 games of the season in the league since his debut in 2012-2013 with the Habs knows that the situation is rather unstable. His next missions might come to him faster than he expected.
“Things can change very quickly in this sport. With COVID and all that is going on, you don’t know what will happen every day, he added. So you have to adjust your approach to it and make sure you’re ready to play. ”
A job to do
Tinordi, who finds the driver Gerard Gallant whom he knew when he was acting as an assistant in Montreal, is starting to get used to long periods of inactivity. He says he wants to stay in control, physically and mentally, despite everything.
“It’s always difficult to be away for an extended period and come back to maximum speed,” he admitted. However, you have to use your time in the best possible way. When you watch games it’s easy to get caught up in all kinds of ideas, so you try to see the whole thing with a goal in mind and being in complete control. “
“When I play in a meeting, I have a job to do, he added. I see that I deserve this trust so that I can come back to action. I always try to be physical, but there are a few matches where it is more the case than others. The most important thing is to let things present themselves a bit to you, because if you try to provoke them by going beyond your means, that’s when things go wrong. “
The Rangers had a meeting with the Kings in Los Angeles on Monday night.