Dan Girardi’s Status For Game 2 Still Up In The Air For New York Rangers
New York Rangers’ defenseman, Dan Girardi, left the 3rd period of Game 1 after taking a puck to the face, and did not return. His status for Game 2 is still up in the air.
Right around the halfway point of the 3rd period, in Game 1 of the 1st round of the playoffs between the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden, Rangers’ defenseman Dan Girardi left the game after taking a puck to the side of the face.
New York Rangers
As you can see in the GIF above, courtesy of @myregularface, Girardi got his stick in the shooting lane of Penguins’ forward Chris Kunitz, but unfortunately for Girardi, while he did block the shot, instead of deflecting away, the puck rolled up his stick and proceeded to hit him right around the jaw area. Also, according to this angle, it looks as if Kunitz’s stick might have gotten Girardi’s face as well on the follow through.
After the puck, and possibly the stick of Kunitz, made contact, Girardi immediately fell to the ice while grabbing his face, and the referee blew the play dead. Girardi then skated off to the bench and into the Rangers’ locker room with the team’s head medical trainer, Jim Ramsey.
Girardi would not return to the game after this. A game in which the Rangers would hold on to get the Game 1 win over the Penguins by a 2-1 final score.
After the game, Rangers’ head coach, Alain Vigneault, was asked about updates on Girardi but only told the media that all he knew was that the dentist was checking him out. Vigneault’s exact quote below, courtesy of @PLeonardNYDN.
Vigneault Girardi update: "The only thing I heard after the game was the dentist was looking at him. That’s the only update I have for u."
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) April 17, 2015
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By Vigneault saying that Girardi is being checked out by the dentist, I am guessing that he lost some teeth after taking the puck to the side of his face? I mean that would see logical but it is pretty peculiar that they Rangers are being so hush hush with an injury that at worst looked like a broken jaw and Girardi would then have to wear a face mask for next game.
The injury did not look like something that would keep a guy like Girardi out of the Rangers’ starting lineup for next game, but until Vigneault says something, Girardi’s status for Game 2 will remain up in the air.
Next: New York Rangers, Ryan McDonagh Capture Game One Against Penguins
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