Practice Report: Jesper Fast Out With Quad Strain

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Moments ago, the Rangers announced that forward Jesper Fast suffered a quad strain in last night’s game against the Devils.

After recovering from his offseason hip surgery, Fast had come back into the lineup and had a positive impact. Fast had posted seven goals and nine assists in the 30 games he’s played this season. His attitude on the ice of never quitting on a play and always being willing to throw his body around is what has endeared him to the Garden faithful.

In light of the injury, Alain Vigneault has to juggle his lineup to fill the void created by Fast’s absence. Boo Nieves, who came out of the lineup when Mika Zibanejad returned from injury, was reinserted by Alain Vigneault at today’s practice. But surprisingly, JT Miller was moved down to the fourth line while David Desharnais was moved up to the second line.

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If they want to have the extra forward on the roster, the Rangers could call up a forward from the Wolf Pack ahead of their matchup in Toronto on Saturday. Rangers fans certainly would want to see Filip Chytil back at MSG, but the Rangers loaned him to the Czech Republic national team for the World Junior Championships. One player they could call up is Vinni Lettieri, who impressed enough at training camp to be amongst the final cuts by the Rangers. This season for Hartford, Lettieri’s eleven goals leads the club, and his nineteen points ranks third for the Wolf Pack. Should Jeff Gorton and Alain Vigneault choose to go this route, Lettieri would be a very sensible option for the Blueshirts.

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