Gerard Gallant says Barclay Goodrow's status is 'week-to-week'

Rangers coach Gerard Gallant revealed after Thursday’s 5-2 win over the Penguins in Game 2 of the first-round series that forward Barclay Goodrow will be out on a week-to-week basis with a lower-body injury suffered in Game 1.

Goodrow and defenseman Ryan Lindgren (lower body) both missed Game 2, but Gallant said Lindgren’s status is a game-to-game thing. Lindgren had missed most of the third period and all of the third overtime in Game 1 after blocking a shot by Kris Letang on a Penguins power play late in the second period.

Lindgren, who had suffered an injury in last Friday’s regular-season finale against Washington, appeared to be hit on the inside of his right leg, above the knee, by Letang’s shot with about three minutes left in the second period on Tuesday. He returned for the final shift of the third and played in the first two overtime periods before not joining the team on the bench for the third overtime.

With Lindgren out, Justin Braun, one of the trade deadline acquisitions by GM Chris Drury, entered the lineup. Braun, who was acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers, started the game out partnering with Adam Fox, Lindgren’s usual partner. The only wrinkle was that Braun is a righthanded shot, as Fox is. Braun started out as the left side partner and earned an assist on the Rangers’ first goal by Andrew Copp.

Dryden Hunt, who played 76 games in the regular season, entered the lineup and took Goodrow’s place. He played on the fourth line, with center Kevin Rooney and right wing Ryan Reaves.

Penguins' Rakell sidelined

Pittsburgh was without forward Rickard Rakell and defenseman Brian Dumoulin.

Rakell left Game 1 near the end of the first period after taking a heavy hit from Lindgren. Drew O’Connor came into the lineup for Rakell and Mark Friedman entered for Dumoulin.

The Penguins activated defenseman Nathan Beaulieu off long-term injured reserve before the game. Beaulieu missed Pittsburgh’s final 19 regular-season games after being acquired from Winnipeg at the trade deadline. He was already on LTIR at the time of the trade, with a lower-body injury.

Domingue gets the start

Louis Domingue, who relieved Casey DeSmith in the Penguins goal midway through the second overtime in Game 1, started in goal for Pittsburgh. Domingue wears the catching glove on his right hand, unlike DeSmith, who wears it on his left. Reaves, who spoke to the media prior to the game, was asked about shooting at a goalie who catches right instead of left.

“You'd have to ask a goal scorer that question,’’ Reaves joked. “I close my eyes and shoot the puck. Ask Kreids (Chris Kreider) how he how he deals with that.’’

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

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.