TAMPA, Fla. — The Rangers’ Ryan Strome was a late scratch Tuesday night for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Lightning.
However Strome took the ice for warm-ups, the second-line focus, who experienced a lower-body injury that drove him away from in the second time of Game 3 on Sunday evening, was eventually precluded probably because of a similar physical issue.
“He’s day-to-day,” head coach Gerard Gallant said of Strome following the Rangers’ 4-1 loss. “Hopefully he’s ready to go [for Game 5] Thursday night.”
"He's everyday," lead trainer Gerard Gallant said of Strome following the Rangers' 4-1 misfortune. "Ideally he's all set [for Game 5] Thursday night."
The Rangers also lost Filip Chytil, in the second period, when the Czech center absorbed a hard hit from Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman and headed straight for the locker room.
Chytil suffered an upper-body injury, according to the Rangers, but Gallant said he should be fine. The coach added the Rangers will have to wait and see about Chytil.
"He's everyday," lead trainer Gerard Gallant said of Strome following the Rangers' 4-1 misfortune. "Ideally he's all set [for Game 5] Thursday night."
With Strome out, Kevin Rooney stepped once more into the arrangement interestingly since Game 5 of the Rangers'
second-round series against the Hurricanes. He opened into his standard fourth-line focus spot between Tyler Motte and Ryan Reaves.
Barclay Goodrow, subsequent to impeding a shot with the very lower leg that he purportedly broke in Game 1 of the Rangers' first-round series against the Penguins,
stayed in the setup for Game 4. Goodrow's physical issue sidelined him for 11 games spreading over Rounds 1 and 2.
The utility forward began the night on the second line with Artemi Panarin and Andrew Copp before Gallant picked to muddle up his lines to attempt to ignite some offense.
Sammy Blais, who has been working his way back from an ACL tear he suffered in November, skated in a regular jersey instead of a non-contact one for the first time since he resumed skating with the Rangers this postseason.
Blais was in the Rangers’ lineup at the start of the season, but Gallant has previously pointed out that the 25-year-old winger hasn’t seen game action since mid-November.
Plus, the Rangers have three new forwards, acquired before the March 21 trade deadline, who are padding out the rest of the lineup.