Ryan Lindgren misses eighth straight game for Rangers
Defenseman Ryan Lindgren hasn't played since the last time the Rangers faced the Capitals on Feb. 25. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
After practicing fully on Friday in Buffalo, then not playing in either of the final two games of the road trip Saturday in Buffalo or Sunday in Pittsburgh, Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren did not take part in Tuesday’s morning skate and then missed his eighth consecutive game with an upper-body injury, when the Blueshirts hosted the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden.
Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said Lindgren, who hasn’t played since getting injured the last time the Rangers played the Capitals, Feb. 25 in Washington, did not suffer a setback.
“It’s the plan that they did,’’ Gallant said, referencing the club’s medical team. “I mean, today [Lindgren] didn’t skate. He just did an off-ice workout and that’s what the training staff had for him. He’s getting better. He’s getting closer. But he’s still day to day, so we’re not going to rush him at this point.’’
Lindgren appeared to injure his left shoulder when Washington forward T.J. Oshie drove him into the boards. The Rangers could have opted to put Lindgren on long term injured reserve at the time, which would have allowed them to exceed the NHL’s $82.5 million salary cap at the time when they were doing all sorts of convoluted roster maneuvers in order to fit Patrick Kane under their cap.
Putting Lindgren on LTIR would have required he miss at least 24 days and a minimum of 10 games, and the Rangers probably weren’t certain he would be out that long. So they did not make the move, and as a result had to play four games using only five defensemen, and three games using 11 forwards.
Had Lindgren been unavailable for 24 days beginning the day after he was hurt, he would still have to miss the entire five-game homestand that began Tuesday.
Trouba excused
Captain Jacob Trouba was excused from the morning skate, for personal reasons, the Rangers said. Trouba did play . . . Adam Fox’s assist on Patrick Kane’s power play goal in the first period was his 50th assist of the season.
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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