Vitali Kravtsov sidelined for second straight game
Vitali Kravtsov of the Rangers plays the puck during the first period against the Blue Jackets at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Rangers rookie forward Vitali Kravtsov missed his second straight game Sunday when the Rangers finished up a weekend back-to-back with a home game against the Arizona Coyotes at the Garden.
Kravtsov, who has played in only six games this season because of various injuries, missed the games because of an infected tooth, though the team initially said he was ill with a flu-like virus.
“He had the flu [Saturday] morning, came to the rink [Saturday] night and his teeth were really bothering him, so he spent the morning in the dentist’s chair this morning,’’ coach Gerard Gallant said. “That’s the latest update.’’
Kravtsov, who has missed nine games because of three separate upper-body injuries, sat out after having his strongest game of the season Thursday in the 8-2 win over the Red Wings. He earned his first point this season, an assist on a third-period goal by Barclay Goodrow, in that game.
Lineup shuffle
Aside from starting Igor Shesterkin in net Sunday, as opposed to Jaroslav Halak, who started Saturday, Gallant made one change to the lineup that lost, 2-1, in Nashville on Saturday. He replaced forward Ryan Reaves with fourth-line center Ryan Carpenter.
Carpenter returned after being scratched for three straight games. He centered a fourth line between wingers Sammy Blais and Julien Gauthier, while Goodrow moved up to the second line with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck.
Blue notes
D Libor Hajek remained in the lineup for a fifth consecutive game, his longest continuous stretch this season. Hajek and Zac Jones both dressed for warm-ups but Jones was scratched for the fourth straight game . . . The Rangers wore military green jerseys for their warm-up in honor of Military Appreciation Night.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
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