After the win last night, Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant disclosed that Barclay Goodrow is going to be out for an extended period. Officially listed as week to week, Goodrow’s potential absence was not disclosed until pre-game warm ups when he and Ryan Lindgren did not come out.
Goodrow’s injury is a lower body one, and some have speculated it may have been a result of a blocked shot in the first period of Game 1. Goodrow is one of only two Rangers to have won the Stanley Cup, and now joins their other Cup winner: Sammy Blais, on the sidelines. When asked today whether we’ll see Goodrow back later in round one, Gallant replied “Probably not”.
If Goodrow has broken a bone, then he’s likely out at least 3 weeks, potentially as much as 6, which would mean the earliest we might see him would be late in Round 2 — if the Rangers manage to get there.
With respect to Lindgren, he will travel with the team to Pittsburgh for games Saturday and Monday, and is considered a game time decision for Game 3 on Saturday. While it’s not known exactly what the injury is, Lindgren did suffer a leg injury late in the regular season finale against Washington, and could have aggravated it in Game 1.
The Rangers did receive some good news though, with Tyler Motte back on the ice, having suffered what appeared to be a shoulder injury back on April 7th. Motte’s potential return would be a plus for the bottom six and penalty kill, if he can indeed make it back soon. It’s uncertain whether Motte will travel to Pittsburgh, but if the series extends beyond Game 5, or the Rangers move onto the second round, then it looks like Motte could be an option.
Making then Ranger playoff debut last night were Justin Braun and Dryden Hunt. Braun picked up an assist in his 101st playoff appearance, which leads the Rangers, and was paired with Adam Fox. Hunt slotted into the 4th line left wing position and did not register a shot, but provided some good energy.
For Pittsburgh, it’s mixed news. Casey DeSmith is out for the rest of the playoffs, having undergone core muscle surgery yesterday. With Tristan Jarry still a week or two away from returning from a fracture in his foot, it looks likely that at least the next two games will have Domingue or perhaps Alex DiOrio in net.
Otherwise, forwards Jason Zucker and Rickard Rakell, along with defenseman Brian Dumouliin are all day to day. Rakell did skate today, so perhaps his injury isn’t as severe as it could have been.
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