Vitali Kravtsov roughly out a week; Filip Chytil getting close for NY Rangers
This has truly been a rough season for Vitali Kravtsov. After suffering his third injury in just 4 games played, the New York Rangers announced that he will be out for “roughly a week.”
This latest injury occurred in Dallas on Saturday chasing a loose puck. On the play, Kravtsov lost his balance and went hard into the boards with the Stars’ defender appearing to hit his head.
He left the game with an upper-body injury.
Another Rangers forward will be out of action as Filip Chytil is skating on his own but will miss his fifth straight game.
He is still considered day-to-day after suffering an upper-body injury when Columbus’ Cole Sillinger caught him up high on a check over a week ago.
Vitali Kravtsov out at least a week
The Rangers are scheduled to play their 11th game of the season against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, but Vitali Kravtsov has only been able to suit up for 4 of them.
Furthermore, the 22 year-old has only been able to play 1 game without an injury.
In the season opener against the Tampa Bay Lightning, he played only 88 seconds before falling into the boards with Victor Hedman finishing a check. He missed the next four games before getting back into the lineup.
Kravtsov returned to action against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the team’s sixth game of the season. That’s the only contest he made it through without getting hurt. In the following match against the Colorado Avalanche, he suffered an arm injury that led to him being scratched against the New York Islanders the very next night.
The former 2018 first-round pick was able to shake it off and play in the matinee contest against the Dallas Stars on Saturday before going down again. He played just 5:09 due to this latest misfortune.
“You got to play the game hard, you got to play the game aggressive, but he probably put himself in a bad situation the other night,” Gerard Gallant said via NY Post’s Mollie Walker. “I want him going and being first on pucks, we talked about it. Not be a little smarter, but be a little safer than that. It’s too bad, because he’s played okay.”
Kravtsov has no points on the year. He now has 4 points (2G – 2A) in 24 NHL games. All his points came during the 2020-21 campaign.
“Every time he gets on the ice he gets hurt,” Gallant shrugged. “It’s a shame.”
New York Rangers lineup vs Flyers
The Rangers lineup will remain the same as it did on Sunday versus the Coyotes with Igor Shesterkin in goal.
Shesterkin, 26, is 5-0-2 this season with an excellent 2.55 GAA and a .913 SV%. For his career against the Philadelphia Flyers, he’s 3-3-1 with a .926 SV% and a 2.58 GAA.
Here’s a look at the projected lineup:
- Kreider – Zibanejad – Kakko
- Panarin – Trocheck – Lafrenière
- Blais – Goodrow – Gauthier
- Vesey – Carpenter – Reaves
- Lindgren – Fox
- Miller – Trouba
- Jones – Schneider
- Shesterkin
- Halak
The Rangers have scored 9 goals and allowed only 5 in their last two games since snapping an 0-2-2 skid.
“[The Flyers] work hard, compete hard every night,” Gallant said. “They’re putting pucks in the net and getting great goaltending. You know Torts was going to go in there at get them to work.”
NY Rangers Game Notes
- NYR all-time vs Flyers 139-125-37-11
- NYR are 6-2-2 in their last 10 vs the Flyers
- Artemi Panarin has 37 points (12G-25A) against the Flyers since 2015-16
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