Artemi Panarin, Ryan Lindgren exit Rangers game with concerning injuries
Yesterday at 06:52 AM
The New York Rangers are already facing injuries to two key players before the regular season has even started. Artemi Panarin and Ryan Lindgren were sidelined during Tuesday's exhibition game against their in-state rival New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan.
According to Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette, Panarin is dealing with a lower-body ailment, while Lindgren suffered an upper-body injury. In his post-game remarks, he indicated that both players are undergoing evaluations but didn’t offer further details, per the Rangers official website.
“A lower body (injury), he’s being evaluated,” he said of Panarin.
“Being evaluated, upper body,” he later said of Lindgren.
Meanwhile, the Rangers nearly another key player when Filip Chytil had to be helped off the ice after taking a hard hit from Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield. Lindgren appeared to sustain his injury in the ensuing fight with Mayfield, as he stepped in to defend his teammate following the hit.
Ryan Lindgren took an upper cut at the end of the fight. Watch the ice, i'll zoom into it for yeah. #NYR (Lindgren (upper body) will not return tonight.) pic.twitter.com/g2lvhjsCQU
— David (@DaveyUpper) September 25, 2024
Fortunately, Chytil was able to return to action later in the game.
The Rangers were able to rebound from what was a 4-1 deficit, roaring back for a 6-4 victory thanks to a whopping six third-period goals, including four in just over two minutes of play in what was their exhibition opener in front of their home fans.
Artemi Panarin is coming off a career-best 120 points in 2023-24
Panarin, entering the sixth season of the seven-year contract he signed with the Rangers in the summer of 2019, posted a career-high 49 goals and 71 assists for 120 points last season, also playing a pivotal role in helping the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference Final.
Needless to say, losing Panarin for any amount of time would be a devastating setback in this critical season. Earlier this month, Rangers team captain Jacob Trouba indicated that this year may be one of the final opportunities for the current Rangers core of players to compete for the Stanley Cup:
"In all likelihood, this will probably be the last crack for this core," Trouba said of the core, of which Panarin is a key member. "I don't think it's a secret by any means. [We’re] a group that's kind of grown together, spent some years together here, and there's something we want to accomplish."
Meanwhile, Lindgren amassed three goals and 14 assists last season while averaging just under 20 minutes of ice time per game. He was re-signed to a one-year contract during the offseason, avoiding salary arbitration.
The Rangers are set to return to action on Thursday night against the Boston Bruins at home. However, it remains uncertain whether Artemi Panarin and Ryan Lindgren will be available to play.
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