New York Rangers injury update: Artemi Panarin out against Blues with upper-body issue
As if things couldn’t get worse for the reeling New York Rangers, they were without their top scorer Sunday in a 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center.
Artemi Panarin is day to day with an upper-body injury. It’s believed the star forward was hurt in New York’s brutal 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.
Panarin did finish the game Saturday, but logged only 14:22 TOI. He had one assist to go along with four giveaways.
Of course, his absence strips the Rangers lineup of its most lethal offensive threat. Panarin leads the Rangers with 15 goals and 36 points in 29 games. He’s also second with 21 assists, behind Adam Fox, who has 24.
Last season, Panarin exploded for 120 points, second-most in franchise history and fourth in the NHL.
Related: 10 most expensive goalie contracts in NHL history, headed by Igor Shesterkin’s massive deal
Rangers scratch Kaapo Kakko, Victor Mancini against Blues
The Rangers also scratched forward Kaapo Kakko for the first time this season and rookie defenseman Victor Mancini against the Blues. Coach Peter Laviolette cited the need for “fresh legs” in the Rangers lineup as to why Kakko didn’t play.
Kakko has two points (one goal, one assist) in the past nine games. Despite his struggles to find the back of the net, Kakko’s played a consistently solid two-way game most of the season with usual linemates Will Cuylle and Filip Chytil. He’s eighth on the Rangers with 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 29 games.
Mancini has struggled defensively and was minus-3 in the loss to the Kings. He was replaced by veteran Chad Ruhwedel, who’d played only one game this season but does have a Stanley Cup championship on his resume.
Forwards Jimmy Vesey and Jonny Brodzinski returned to the Rangers lineup against the Blues. New York started Sunday with the following line combinations:
Will Cuylle – Filip Chytil – Alexis Lafreniere
Jonny Brodzinski – Vincent Trocheck – Reilly Smith
Jimmy Vesey – Mika Zibanejad – Brett Berard
Adam Edstrom – Sam Carrick – Chris Kreider
The defense pairs were as follows:
Ryan Lindgren – Adam Fox
Zac Jones – Braden Schneider
Connor Mackey – Chad Ruhwedel
More About:New York Rangers News
Read This Next
