Heroic Henrik: Henrik Lundqvist is tended to by Rangers medical staff as concerned teammates look on. He was fine leading the team to victory over the Hurricanes.
AP Photo by Mary Altaffer/Getty Images

As it turns out, the puck Henrik Lundqvist took to the throat might be more serious than originally thought. During the Rangers’ 4-1 win over the Hurricanes, he was injured when a Brad Malone shot caught him in the throat due to Ryan McDonagh accidentally lifting his helmet. Lundqvist stayed in the game and made 31 saves.

Able to start the next game- a 6-3 victory over the Panthers- he showed no ill effects making 33 saves for his 25th win of the season. However, as often happens with injuries there’s an virtual unknown that can alter how a player feels. The New York Post’s Brett Cyrgalis tweeted an update with Lundqvist suddenly a scratch for tonight’s Rivalry Night against Boston.

He did experience dizzy spells in the third period of the Carolina win on 1/31. Curiously, there are unconfirmed reports that the Rangers medical staff did not fully test Lundqvist afterwards. If true, that is irresponsible. Given how uncertain injuries are, it’s always better to be safe and use caution. If Lundqvist is out for a extended period, they have no one to blame but themselves.

As for tonight’s match against the Bruins, it’s an opportunity for Cam Talbot and the team to step up against a tough opponent that dominated them 3-0 in their only meeting. MacKenzie Skapski is an emergency recall from Hartford and will back up.