Game-changing Injury news strikes the New York Rangers vs Blue Jackets moments before puck drop
The New York Rangers will have an advantage over the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight. Key forward, Sean Monahan is out of the lineup with an upper-body injury. Peter Laviolette should make this a focal point of the team tonight.
Without Center Sean Monahan, the Columbus Blue Jackets are short a key piece in the lineup.
Since he arrived in Columbus, thanks to the help of Johnny Gaudreau, the forward has been the 1C in Columbus, until recently.
Adam Fantilli has stepped in to plug the hole in the meantime but doesn't have the same experience in the NHL as Monahan.
He was placed on IR on January 9th, after their game in Pittsburgh when they won in a shootout.
Dmitri Voronkov - Adam Fantilli - Kirill Marchenko
James van Riemsdyk - Cole Sillinger - Kent Johnson
Zach Aston-Reese - Luca Del Bel Belluz - Mathieu Olivier
Mikael Pyyhtia - Sean Kuraly - Kevin Labanc
Zach Werenski - Dante Fabbro
Denton Mateychuk - Ivan Provorov
Jake Christensen - Damon Severson
Daniil Tarasov
Elvis Merzlikins
The Rangers will look no different than their win against the Utah Hockey Club tonight.
Vinnie Troecheck, Artemi Panarin, and Alexis Lafreniere will serve on the first line tonight. The Rangers should make it a point to shoot first, and often on goalie Daniil Tarasov.
Tarasov has played 11 games this season, with only 4 wins and a .862 save percentage.
Without Monahan in the lineup, the offensive potential of the Blue Jackets is severely limited. As you can see, their "top-six" is at most, a top-four, as the only wingers with firepower are Kent Johnson, Dmitri Voronkov, Adam Fantilli, and Kirill Marchenko.
Monahan has been a point-per-game player he's scored 41 points( 17 G, 24 A) in 41 games.
And even then, former 1st-round pick, Fantilli is a bad substitute.
