Losing to the Philadelphia Flyers on the road hurt but what hurt even more was when Chris Kreider suffered a fractured foot blocking a shot in the first period
The New York Rangers knew they were going to be challenged taking on the Flyers who have one of the best home records in the NHL. The game wasn’t as one-sided as the 5-2 score indicated as it was tied 1-1 over halfway into the match before the Flyers scored and thenblew the game open.
The big news was the fractured foot suffered by Chris Kreider in the first period. Kreider blocked a shot from the point and immediately went to the bench and then the locker room with the training staff. It didn’t take long for the announcement.
UPDATE: Chris Kreider suffered a fractured foot in the first period and will not return.
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) February 29, 2020
While the injury took the wind out of the Rangers’ sails the loss was more due to the fact that they were playing back-to-back games on the road and on the Flyers’ ability to capitalize on mistakes.
There was no word on the severity of the fracture or how long Kreider will be out. It was a week that started with Igor Shesterkin breaking a rib in a car accident and it ended with this Kreider injury, a tough one for the Blueshirts.
There was some good news related to their quest for a playoff spot. With Columbus and Carolina both losing, the Rangers didn’t lose any ground to their prime competitors for a wild card spot and remain two points behind the Blue Jackets and tied in points with the Hurricanes.
Losing Kreider for any amount of time will be a test for the Rangers. With a rematch with the Flyers on Sunday, followed by games with the Blues and Capitals, the schedule doesn’t get any easier. It will be interesting to see how they handle this adversity. So far, they have been pretty impressive when it comes to challenges, especially recently.
So, say goodbye to the five game winning streak and the nine game road winning streak. They get to come home after the most successful February in their history. They won 11 of 15 games and got 22 of 30 possible points, catapulting them into the playoff race.