The New York Rangers have been rolling as of late, but if the Blueshirts look to continue making a push towards the Stanley Cup playoffs, they'll have to do so without top-six forward Chris Kreider, who is sidelined with a hand injury that could keep him out for over a month.
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The New York Daily News reported Tuesday night that Kreider would not be available in the team's huge game with the Philadelphia Flyers Wednesday night, and then reported that there was no update on a timetable for his return to the team at Wednesday's morning skate but that he should miss significant time and at least five games.
The Rangers (40-29-4, 84 points) host the Flyers (38-26-7, 83 points) in a game with huge playoff implications as second-place New York has won four straight and looks to expand on its lead over its division rival while Philadelphia, which has two games in hand, will look to leap over them in the standings.
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The Rangers attempt to stop a red-hot Flyers team that had its five-game winning streak snapped Monday against the Los Angeles Kings will be even harder without Kreider, who is in a four-way tie for second on the team with 17 goals and is sixth in points with 37 through 66 games thus far.
The Daily News reported that Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said he wasn't sure how long Kreider will be out, but it will be at least four games as he'll sit Wednesday night and won't take the four-game road trip through Western Canada and Denver with the team. TSN initially reported that Kreider will miss "at least a month, maybe much longer," and possibly even miss Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs if the Rangers make it.
The report also states that Vigneault was unsure if Kreider would need surgery and also said that the injury initially occurred against the Columbus Blue Jackets last Friday, while Kreider stayed in the lineup when the Rangers played the New Jersey Devils Saturday and Phoenix Coyotes on Monday.
Vigneault says #NYR still don't know how long Kreider will be out, but he is NOT traveling on 4-game Western Canada trip
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) March 26, 2014
Asked about potential surgery for Kreider, AV says #NYR still trying to determine what's next. Strange: AV says Kreider injured vs Columbus — Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) March 26, 2014
Kreider has been a huge piece of the Ranges puzzle this season under Vigneault after being constantly in former coach John Tortorella's doghouse last season. He's played mostly on a line with Derek Stepan and Rick Nash this season, serving as at the team's top unit on most nights. J.T. Miller will be recalled from Hartford to fill Kreider's vacancy in the lineup.
With the Rangers in second place and the Flyers in third, the two teams would play each other in a best-of-seven series hosted by New York in Games 1 and 2 under the new NHL playoff format if the season ended today.
Tonight is potentially a preview of the playoffs, and it is definitely a preview of how the Rangers will look for at least the next five games without Kreider in the lineup.
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