The Rangers have been among the luckiest clubs in the NHL when it comes to losing players on the COVID protocol list, with only Kaapo Kakko being kept out of the game for this reason before Saturday’s game in Washington.
But Kakko, who missed the Feb. 1 contest against the Penguins after scoring a false test, was back on the list and therefore unavailable for a 4-1 victory over the Capitals.
“This happened this morning, so I haven’t had a chance to speak yet,” coach David Quinn said after the competition. “Obviously you are worried every time someone enters this list, so we will talk here shortly and see how it feels.
“From what I’ve gathered, there have been no symptoms yet, so I’ll know a lot more later.”
Of course, according to league rules, Quinn will not be allowed to reveal what she is learning. It is up to Kakko, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at an early age, to reveal details if he wishes.
Filip Chytil has been on the COVID-19 list since the beginning of the week, remaining in the injured reserve. Chtyil, who has missed 11 straight since suffering an unidentified upper body injury in Pittsburgh on Jan. 24, skates before joining the roster. It is not known how much, if at all, his return date could be affected by this. The Rangers initially projected that the 21-year-old center would lose four to six weeks.
The Blueshirts eliminated all four of the capital’s power games, including one on which Mika Zibanejad scored a goal-netter at 17:48 in the third period, with a 6 to 4 lead. The Rangers, who allowed only three shots gun in 8:00, have killed 31 of the last 32 advantages they have faced in the last nine games.
Overall, the club killed 52 of 60 for a rate of 86.7, which placed it third in the league after the game.
Ryan Strome scored both a goal and an assist. The goal was the 100th of his career in the NHL, while the assist was his 100th point as a Ranger. This made him the first player to reach the mark of the century in points with both Blueshirts and Islanders.
“I knew that and it was actually quite interesting,” said Strome, who was selected fifth overall by the Islanders in 2011, one place before senators drafted Zibanejad. “I would never have thought when I was recruited almost 10 years ago that I would have 100 points with both the islanders and the Rangers, given the hatred for this rivalry.
“It’s a pretty great achievement, not that I thought it would play, but I’m happy to be a Ranger, my time here was pretty good and I got to 100 here much faster than I did the Islanders, so it’s a little ticket under my belt that I’ll enjoy. ”
Strome, who played 45-81 = 126 in 258 games in four seasons with the Islanders before being traded to Edmonton for Jordan Eberle, went 41-60 = 101 in 149 games for the Blueshirts since he was acquired by at the Oilers in exchange for Ryan Spooner.
Blueshirts won 32 of 56 points, including Zibanejad’s 15-for-23. Strome won 6 out of 11.
The Rangers placed a limited number of tickets on general sale for the next three home games, on February 26, February 28 and March 2, between $ 50 and $ 345. Attendance at these games is limited to almost 2,000, with all customers being required to adhere to COVID-19 protocols, which include proof of a negative PCR test within 72 hours of the match.