Rangers’ Artemi Panarin Omitted from Game Against Devils

On Thursday morning, during the pre-game skate in Tarrytown, Artemi Panarin was a notable absence for the New York Rangers in their 3-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden.

The star winger, who had participated fully in recent practices following an undisclosed lower body injury he sustained during training camp, was kept out of the lineup as a precaution.

“He’s day to day. We lean towards being cautious. Both [Panarin] and JT [Miller] are in that boat,” the coach explained about their current statuses.

Panarin had stepped off practice on September 19 but managed to return to skating over the next few days, resuming team practices by September 26.

In Panarin’s absence, Connor Cearly took his spot in the lineup, joining Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafrenière on the left wing. The other members of the top six included Will Cuylle, Mika Zibanejad, and Gabe Perreault.

The third line featured Adam Edstrom, Yuso Peshin, and Taylor Radish, while the fourth unit consisted of Johnny Brodzinski, Nola Kees, and Matt Rempe.

During the game, the Devils struck first with a goal from Paul Cotter late in the first period. The Rangers managed to equalize with a unique goal from Edstrom, who pressured Devils defenseman Simon Nemec, leading to a deflected shot that slipped past New Jersey’s goaltender, Jacob Markstrom.

Despite this brief moment of hope, the Devils extended their lead with two power-play goals from Ondrej Palat and Dawson Mercer in the third period, sealing the victory.

“I thought there were some positives to take away,” Coach Sullivan noted. “There are areas where we can improve, but considering the lineup we had, I felt we held our own during certain stretches of the game.”

Meanwhile, Miller also missed the morning skate but appeared on the ice ahead of the game for the first time since suffering a lower body injury earlier in the week.

Sam Carrick, who had also sat out due to injury, returned to practice in his regular Tarrytown jersey.

In goal, Jonathan Quick played the entire game, which was part of the plan for the exhibition matches. Coach Sullivan confirmed that Igor Shesterkin would start the preseason finale against Boston on Saturday.

“It’s about finding the right balance,” Sullivan shared. “Quick getting a full game tonight and Shesterkin on Saturday helps us prepare for the start of the season.”

Quick faced 12 shots, saving 10 in the loss.