Tyler Pitlick returns to Rangers’ lineup after string of scratches

LOS ANGELES — Injuries and unpredictable factors have dictated much of Peter Laviolette’s coaching decisions this season, but the Rangers bench boss made his own personnel change Saturday.

Tyler Pitlick drew back into the lineup for the first time in eight games, over some of which the forward was recovering from a lower-body injury. As a result, Nick Bonino was a healthy scratch for the first time this season.

“The last time we played [the Kings], he played with [Barclay] Goodrow and [Jimmy] Vesey and they did a really good job handling some tough minutes and D-zone starts,” Laviolette said before the Rangers lost, 2-1, to the Kings. “He’s been healthy. I don’t want anybody sitting too long, so he gets a chance to come back in.”

During the Rangers’ strongest stretch of the season, Pitlick, who played 9:41 in the loss, was on the right wing of the fourth line with Goodrow and Vesey.

That trio has posted much stronger numbers than Bonino has while he’s centered those two in the previous two games and a stretch of seven games at the end of October into early November.

In 183:28 of ice time before Saturday’s game, according to Natural Stat Trick, the Vesey-Goodrow-Pitlick line has been on the ice for four Rangers goals and eight against while owning a 55.89 expected goals for percentage.

They’ve also out-attempted opponents 87-68.

“[Bonino and I] talked this morning,” said Laviolette, who coached Bonino for two seasons in Nashville. “It’s never easy. Not a great part of the job telling good people that care that they’re not part of the 12 tonight. That’s always tough. Decisions have to be made when it comes to the lineup.”

Additionally, Erik Gustafsson was ruled out ahead of the Rangers’ matchup with the Kings. The Rangers have classified him as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Gustafson didn’t participate with the team in a majority of their morning skate on Saturday, but the 31-year-old blueliner came out to skate by himself at the end. The fact that he’s still skating indicates the injury shouldn’t be long-term.

Laviolette didn’t rule out the possibility of Gustafsson returning to the lineup in the final two games of the west-coast trip in Anaheim and San Jose.

Zac Jones replaced Gustafsson on the back end next to Braden Schneider. Drawing into the lineup when Mika Zibanejad was a last-minute scratch because he was sick, Jones had been scratched in 15 of the previous 16 games.

“I think he’s played well for us,” Laviolette said of Jones, who now has three assists through 15 games this season. “He’s got a tough job and responsibility of staying game ready. You got to work every day and you’re out there with the coaches and you’re getting pushed by yourself and you really got to have the right mindset and a positive attitude. I think he’s handled it really well.

“The games that he’s been in, for me, I’ve noticed his skating, his ability to move a puck, breakout, first pass, offensively. He competes. I’m sure he’s excited to get back in there.”