Artemi Panarin misses rare game with injury as Rangers lineup takes another hit

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 Vic...