NEW YORK _ There's really no reason, anymore, for Rangers players to play through the types of aches, pains and strains they might if a playoff spot were on the line. So, as his team started its second-to-last week of the season Monday night, returning home to the Garden against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Rangers coach David Quinn dressed a lineup against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night that was missing a few core pieces.
Gritty checking forward Jesper Fast was out, and is finished for the year, Quinn said, with an upper body injury that has been bothering him for about six weeks, according to the coach. Forward Chris Kreider and defenseman Marc Staal also missed the game, each with lower body injuries. Kreider missed his second straight game, while Staal missed his first. Both players are day-to-day, Quinn said.
Without the trio _ alternate captains, all _ the Rangers took an early two-goal lead but then allowed five straight Penguins goals and lost, 5-2. Teddy Blueger scored two goals for Pittsburgh, one of them short-handed.
Fast, meanwhile, fought the decision to shut him down, Quinn said. The 27-year-old Swede, who Quinn called "invaluable," and "as coachable a human being and as 'team' a guy as you'll ever have on your roster," wanted desperately to play Monday, but his injury, which had prevented him from practicing since the beginning of February, had become more difficult for the Rangers to manage, Quinn said. Ultimately, given the fact the Rangers really have nothing to play for, it didn't make sense for Fast to keep playing, the coach said.
"It got a little bit worse, and our situation became, obviously, changed, as time has gone on," Quinn said.
Meanwhile, Alexandar Georgiev, who made 44 saves in Saturday's 2-1 overtime victory over the Maple Leafs in Toronto, started his second straight game, and Quinn admitted it is possible the 23-year-old, who has been splitting time with Henrik Lundqvist since early February, could start more than two in a row.
"Yes. There's a chance for that," he said. "Hank's had a heckuva year overall, so I want to get him back in there, for sure. But, Georgie's played great."
The Rangers jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Brendan Lemieux at 8:25 of the first period, and Vinni Lettieri, his first of the season, on a power play, at 15:15. But Nick Bjugstad got one back for Pittsburgh at 15:41, and Justin Shultz tied it at 1:01 of the second period, on a power play goal, with Brady Skjei serving a high sticking penalty. The Penguins added two more goals before the period was over, Matt Cullen at 7:17 and Blueger's short-handed effort, at 13:12.
