New York Rangers injury update: Chris Kreider lands on IR, Igor Shesterkin practices
Tuesday was a day of good news, bad news for the New York Rangers on the injury front.
On the positive side, Igor Skesterkin participated in the morning skate ahead of a home game against the Dallas Stars at Madison Square Garden. At least for the moment, Shesterkin remains on injured reserve with an upper-body issue. He is eligible to come off IR if healthy enough to dress Tuesday.
“It’s great that he’s out there. He’s on the IR. It’s great that he’s on the ice,” is all Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said about Shesterkin after the skate.
The flip side of the coin is that Chris Kreider was placed on IR with an upper-body injury. That is retroactive to Sunday, when he was scratched for a 6-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Kreider missed games earlier in the season and spoke openly about dealing with a painful back injury. It’s not known if this remains his issue. Kreider is second on the Rangers with 13 goals, three behind team leader Artemi Panarin (16). They are tied for the Rangers lead with five power-play goals apiece.
The 33-year-old has come alive of late, with a three-game point streak (two goals, one assist) prior to being scratched Sunday. He’s one power-play goal shy of tying Camille Henry for most in Rangers history (116).
In addition to on-ice struggles and health concerns, Kreider has also dealt with trade rumors after his name was leaked in a memo from Rangers general manager Chris Drury to other teams saying he was available.
Jonny Brodzinski replaced Kreider in the lineup against the Blackhawks and scored his third goal, tying the game at the time 1-1 in the first period.
The Rangers opted not to insert Arthur Kaliyev into the lineup against the Stars, with coach Peter Laviolette saying after the morning skate that he opted to stick with Sunday’s lineup because that group played so well in Chicago. The 23-year-old forward was claimed off waivers by the Rangers from the Los Angeles Kings on Monday and participated in the morning skate.
Kaliyev knows a thing or two about being injured. He hasn’t played an NHL game this season after breaking his clavicle during training camp. He did play five games in the AHL on a conditioning stint and had one goal and one assist.
The second-round pick (No. 33) in the 2019 NHL Draft, Kaliyev scored 14 goals a rookie in 2021-22. But he had just 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 51 games last season.
The Rangers also recalled Matt Rempe from Hartford of the American Hockey League on Tuesday so that he can serve the final game of his eight-game suspension for boarding and elbowing Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen on Dec. 20. That would make Rempe eligible to play Thursday against the New Jersey Devils.
Related: Rangers vs. Stars: 3 things to watch for seeking consecutive wins for 1st time since November
Good sign for Rangers that Igor Shesterkin back on ice
Shesterkin has missed three games with his upper-body issue. Jonathan Quick started the first two, a 2-1 win against the Boston Bruins and a 7-4 loss to the Washington Capitals. Louis Domingue stepped in to make 25 saves Sunday in the win at Chicago.
Quick was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate, and Laviolette said he will start against the Stars. The 38-year-old is 18-12-5 in his career against Dallas with a 2.38 goals-against average, a .914 save percentage and three shutouts. He’s seeking his 400th NHL win and would be the 15th goalie in league history to reach that milestone.
Shesterkin is 11-15-1 this season with a 3.10 goals-against average and .906 save percentage in 27 starts. He’s had some tremendous highs this season, but overall his game has dipped with lack of support from his teammates, especially during the brutal past two months.
He’s allowed four or more goals 10 times this season.
Still, it’s a big relief for the Rangers to have their No. 1 goalie back on the ice and not out for an extended stretch.
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