Rangers' Vitali Kravtsov knocked out of game in first period
Vitali Kravtsov #74 of the New York Rangers is injured during the first period on a check from Victor Hedman #77 of the Tampa Bay Lightning at Madison Square Garden during the season opening game on October 11, 2022 in New York City. Credit: Getty Images
Rangers rookie forward Vitali Kravtsov left Tuesday’s season-opening 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning at Madison Square Garden with what the Rangers said was an upper body injury apparently suffered when Kravtsov was checked into the boards by Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman.
Coach Gerard Gallant said he didn’t have much information about Kravtsov, who he said he will call day-to-day for now.
“We'll evaluate him tomorrow,’’ Gallant said. “You can never tell much early on after a game, so doctors will tell us tomorrow.’’
Kravtsov started the game on the second line, with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck, and after he left, Gallant was forced to change up his lines. He moved Alexis Lafrenière — who was celebrating his 21st birthday — from left wing to right wing, and put him with Trocheck and Panarin.
Jimmy Vesey, who made the team as a training camp tryout, moved up from the fourth line to the third to take Lafrenière’s place next to Filip Chytil and Barclay Goodrow.
With winger Sammy Blais already out of the lineup due to an upper body injury suffered in the final preseason game Saturday against the Islanders, an injury that forces Kravtsov to miss any kind of time could be a problem for Gallant.
Notes & quotes: Panarin got an assist on Zibanejad’s power-play goal in the third period. The assist was Panarin’s 250th point as a Ranger… Goodrow, who won two Stanley Cups with the Lightning, scored his fourth goal in 12 games against his former team … Blais, Dryden Hunt and D Libor Hajek were the Rangers’ scratches … The Rangers signed G Talyn Boyko to an entry-level contract … The Rangers will practice at their Westchester County facility on Wednesday and then fly to St. Paul, Minn., where they will face the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. They then travel to Winnipeg for a game against the Jets on Friday.
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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