The Rangers’ hold on to first place in the Metropolitan Division will be put to the test as they lose yet another top defenseman.
Ryan Lindgren will be sidelined for several weeks with a lower-body injury after the heartwarming Ranger crashed into the boards and fell awkwardly during the second period of the Blueshirts’ win over the Islanders, officials said. It is expected. Sunday at Madison Square Garden.
This is the second blow to the Rangers’ blue line in the last 10 days. Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury announced after the March 8 trade deadline that captain Jacob Trouba will miss two to three weeks as he recovers from a lower-body injury.
With four weeks left in the regular season schedule, the Rangers must continue to prepare for the playoffs with further testing and new additions to the lineup.
In terms of injuries, the Rangers have been like any other NHL team this season. When it comes to determination, Rangers stand apart.
Tuesday marked the 148th consecutive day the Rangers were in first place in the Metropolitan Division, a franchise record.
The Blueshirts, who will celebrate the feat against the Jets at the Garden, were able to win five of their past six games under difficult circumstances.
They did it without their captain, adding two rookies in Alex Wennberg and Jack Roslovic, and overcoming their toughest schedule yet.
Trouba still has a little over a week on his recovery schedule, but with Lindgren sidelined as well, the Rangers will be without two of their top four defensemen and two of their most physical players for at least another week. It turns out.
Deadline acquisition Chad Ruhwedel is certain to play in Tuesday’s game against Winnipeg.
With Connor McKee out with an upper-body injury and classified as alternate week, the Rangers recalled Brandon Scanlin from AHL Hartford as an additional defenseman.
At least Matt Lempe is eligible for the 6-foot-8.5 forward to return to action after serving a four-game suspension for a high elbow hit on the Devils’ Jonas Siegenthaler.
Ten regulars were absent due to injury. Four different players were placed on injured reserve. There were two season-ending injuries to members of the top six.
At one point, both goaltenders, Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick, were unavailable, and third-stringer Louis Domingue decided to call the game, which he won.
Several other players have also missed one or two games due to minor injuries, illness, or personal reasons.
Heck, five players have had to wear full-face shields due to various face and mouth injuries – most recently Mika Zibanejad, who has returned to being the No. 1 centerway on the offensive side of the puck.
However, the Rangers overcame it all and emerged victorious. He’s battered and bruised, but he’s still part of a top NHL team.
They look like one of the deepest clubs in the league right now.
And that would put them in contention for the Presidents Trophy, a feat the organization hasn’t accomplished since the 2014-15 season.
Lindgren, who missed 17 of the final 23 games of last season with a shoulder injury, will need to absorb every bit of this recovery period. His “D” partner Adam Fox should also take a breather, considering the fact that his average time on ice is tops among all Rangers skaters at 23 minutes, 13 seconds.
With only 14 games left until the playoffs, it will be interesting to see how head coach Peter Laviolette approaches the concept of resting players — especially since he tends to ride top-class horses. Because there is.
Developing chemistry is important at this time of the season, and Trouba’s injury allowed the D pair to experiment.
As a result, Braden Schneider and Quandre Miller have formed a young and effective duo over the past few games.
Losing Lindgren would present the same opportunity, giving the Rangers a fallback plan if a significant injury occurs on the back end during the playoffs.
Ruwedel was acquired from the Penguins in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick for that very reason.
The 33-year-old right-handed blueliner may be forced to reshuffle further between D-pairs.
This is not to say that the team has not already survived this season. The Rangers hope to get better in the long run.
