ST. LOUIS — The injury hits just keep coming for a Rangers team that can’t catch a break.
Artemi Panarin was sidelined with an upper-body injury for the Rangers’ 3-2 loss to the Blues at Enterprise Center on Sunday night, marking the star Russian wing’s first missed game since the 2021-22 season finale.
According to the Rangers, Panarin is considered day-to-day.
“He’s been a top point producer and you miss players like that,” Adam Fox said of Panarin, who leads the Rangers with 36 points. “It’s going to hurt you, but we’re at no point of this to [be making] excuses of missing one guy or two guys. Everyone has to step up regardless of who is playing or not.
“It’s been a lot of the same messaging, same stuff, but at some point, it’s got to give. Got to start getting some wins.”
This comes just a couple of days after the Rangers put defenseman K’Andre Miller on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.
Urho Vaakainanen, who the Rangers acquired from Anaheim in the Jacob Trouba trade, is also still on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.
Panarin’s absence forced some lineup changes, but head coach Peter Laviolette also made a notable coaching decision regarding personnel.
Kaapo Kakko was a healthy scratch Sunday, according to a source.
It marks the 23-year-old Finn’s third healthy scratch of his Rangers tenure, but the first in the regular season after Kakko was benched in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final in the 2022 and 2024 playoffs.
“We were putting fresh legs in the lineup,” Laviolette said of what went into the decision.
As a result, Laviolette deployed a first line with Will Cuylle, Filip Chytil and Alexis Lafreniere.
The second line was made up of Jonny Brodzinski, skating in his first game since Dec. 2, Vincent Trocheck and Reilly Smith, while Brett Berard, Mika Zibanejad and Jimmy Vesey made up the third unit.
Adam Edstrom, Sam Carrick and Chris Kreider played on the Rangers’ fourth line.
Laviolette also opted to sit Victor Mancini.
Chad Ruhwedel replaced Mancini, skating on the right of Connor Mackey as the Rangers’ third pairing.
Zac Jones paired up with Braden Schneider, while Fox and Ryan Lindgren remained intact.
Lindgren, who has struggled mightily this season, misplayed a puck just before the Rangers’ blue line when he tried to get between it and Jordan Kyrou in the second period.
The Blues forward ultimately came away with it and beat Rangers goalie Jonathan Quick on a breakaway to give his team a 2-0 lead at the 6:33 mark of the second period.
A Lafreniere pass to no one in the offensive zone then sprung the Blues for a 2-on-1 rush before Robert Thomas took it himself and made it a three-goal game.
Quick earned the starting nod against the Blues.
The Rangers backup stopped 21 of the 24 shots he faced.
The Rangers are expected to be off Monday before they return to game action Tuesday against the Predators in Nashville.
