Over two inconsistent Rangers seasons, Sam Carrick has been a constant.
The 34-year-old is the same player game in and game out.
There is never a question about what type of game Carrick will bring to the ice.
It has been even more apparent this season, which should make Carrick an easy front-runner for the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award, given annually to the Ranger who, as voted by the fans, “goes above and beyond the call of duty.”
“He’s the ultimate teammate,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “He does the thankless jobs, the hard stuff, sticks up for his teammates, competes hard out there, blocks shots, brings physical play. He does a lot of the thankless jobs that are so important to teams. He sticks up for guys all the time.
“I just think he plays the game with so much courage. It’s hard not to like a guy like that. He’s a fierce competitor.”
There was Carrick in the Rangers’ first game out of the Olympic break Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, scoring his fourth goal and dropping the gloves for his seventh fight this season (per hockeyfights.com).
After the Flyers’ Garnet Hathaway drilled Brennan Othmann into the boards, Carrick was right on his tail immediately after.
Since Matt Rempe went down with a thumb injury, which prevented him from fighting even when he returned, Carrick has stepped up as the Rangers’ enforcer.
It’s a role he knows well from his 10-year NHL career, and one he sees as his way of helping the team in any way he can.
“You never want to roll over and give up,” Carrick told The Post after practice Friday. “I think it just comes down to giving it your all every night. Not so much worrying about the scoreboard, but how we’re playing and making sure that we’re proud of the effort that we put on the ice every night. It’s not always going to go our way, but I think if we can be proud of our effort level, that’s really all we can control.”
The Rangers picked up left wing Tye Kartye off the waiver wire from Seattle on Friday.
Appearing in 40 games for the Kraken in his third NHL season, Kartye has collected eight points (three goals and five assists).
His 98 hits ranked third on the Kraken, while his 19 giveaways were the fewest among all Seattle skaters who have played at least 40 games this season.
Kartye posted 11 goals and 20 points in his first season in Seattle, averaging 11:50 of ice time per game through 77 contests.
Viewed as a physical wing, the 24-year-old Kartye comes to New York with some penalty-killing experience.
To make room for Kartye, the Rangers assigned Othmann back to Hartford.
