The New York Rangers came out on top of a wild one on Tuesday night, completing a 6–4 comeback win over the New York Islanders in their second preseason game. The win came with a share of losses, however, as the Blueshirts now have to manage a few injuries sustained during the exhibition contest. Star winger Artemi Panarin left the game with a lower-body injury and is being evaluated to determine the severity of his ailment.
The Rangers are evaluating Artemi Panarin for a lower-body injury
Panarin headed to the locker room during the third period of Tuesday night’s game and did not return. According to Mollie Walker of The New York Post, head coach Peter Laviolette told reporters after the game that Panarin’s ailment is a lower-body injury and that he is still being evaluated.
The severity of the injury is unclear at this point but more information should be divulged in the coming days. Lohud’s Vince Mercogliano reported that it is unclear whether the injury is a “minor precaution or something more serious.”
On top of his injury scare, Panarin’s performance in the Rangers’ second preseason game left much to be desired. He was on the ice for 11:58 and 14 shifts but failed to record a point and had a -1 rating. Fans on social media were criticizing Panarin’s “minimal” defensive effort during the game as well.
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Panarin is arguably the Rangers’ best and most important player so any long-term injury would be a serious blow to the team. Last season, he put up a career-high 120 points (49 goals and 71 assists) across 82 games. While Panarin did receive criticism for his lack of production during the postseason, there is no questioning his regular-season dominance as he was a finalist for the Hart Trophy.
The Rangers will hop to receive a positive injury update on Panarin in the coming days. More information should be revealed when the Blueshirts take the ice for practice on Wednesday morning as they prepare for their third preseason game against the Bruins on Thursday night.
