While two-thirds of the New York Rangers’ fourth line enjoyed the limelight after a thrilling 2-1 overtime victory against the Florida Panthers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final, their third member missed the dramatic ending due to an injury sustained in the second period.
The only downside for the home team at Madison Square Garden on Friday was Jimmy Vesey’s exit from the game with an upper-body injury after a big hit from Florida forward Ryan Lomberg.
Rangers coach Peter Laviolette mentioned post-game that Vesey was being evaluated by the team’s medical staff. Vesey’s favoring of his left shoulder and his non-return is worrisome, particularly with Game 3 approaching on Sunday afternoon in Florida.
The incident took place at 12:15 of the second period when Lomberg delivered a hard shoulder-to-shoulder check after Vesey had passed the puck. The 30-year-old forward went down heavily, immediately heading to the bench and then to the locker room.
Vesey has contributed one goal and two assists across all 12 postseason games so far, averaging 11:11 of ice time as a key player on New York’s fourth line. During the regular season, he moved throughout the lineup, scoring 13 goals and 26 points in 80 games.
Should Vesey be unavailable for Game 3, the Rangers might bring in Blake Wheeler, who hasn’t played in three months due to a lower-body injury from a February game against the Montreal Canadiens. However, Wheeler has been practicing and was part of the warmups before Game 2.
Alternatively, the Rangers could consider reinserting Kaapo Kakko, who was scratched for the first time in these playoffs on Friday. Nonetheless, this is less likely since Laviolette’s adjusted lines succeeded in Game 2, and Kakko typically fits better in a top-nine role rather than the fourth line.
Jonny Brodzinski, who has played in two postseason games, is another option if Vesey cannot play on Sunday.
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Rangers fourth line shined in Game 2 win against Panthers
NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Florida Panthers at New York RangersCredit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
With Vesey in the locker room, his linemates Barclay Goodrow and Matt Rempe continued their efforts, often with Will Cuylle stepping in. Goodrow emerged as the overtime hero, scoring the winning goal at 14:01 after a give-and-go with Vincent Trocheck.
“Everybody knows what he brings to the team, every night he’s going to bring the same game,” Trocheck said. “We use him in all different situations. He’s a guy you can count on defensively. You know he’s going to bring his best effort every night and play physically. In these playoffs, he’s been outstanding for us on both ends of the ice.”
Goodrow not only scored the crucial overtime goal but also won 10 of 13 face-offs, blocked four shots, and made three hits.
“He’s one of those guys that gets teams to win,” Rangers captain Jacob Trouba said about Goodrow, a two-time Stanley Cup champion.
Rempe gave a significant boost after being scratched for the previous two games. The 6-foot-8 rookie played over 10 minutes, led all skaters with nine hits, and couldn’t hide his excitement about being trusted with a shift late in regulation and one in the offensive zone during overtime.
“I remember ‘Lavi’ calling my name with two minutes left,” Rempe said postgame. “I was like, ‘Oh my God! Let’s go! Jiminy Crickets! Let’s go!’ I was just thrown out there and tried to buzz around. … And then in overtime, I got a little O-zone shift and was pretty excited about that. It was such a blast.”
Cuylle also had a standout game, driving to the net on Goodrow’s game-winning goal, and recording four shots and five hits in 16:20 of ice time.
Now, Laviolette and his staff must quickly make lineup decisions for the Sunday matinee in South Florida, especially if Vesey is unable to play as expected.
