The Rangers were forced to put their fourth lineup staple on injured reserve or long-term injured reserve.
Sean Durzi was placed on IR with a lower-body injury ahead of the Blueshirts’ matchup with the Flyers on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.
Defense was the last area of the Rangers lineup that hadn’t lost a player to IR, but Durzi has been battling something for a couple of weeks now.
The 28-year-old blueliner’s IR designation is retroactive to Oct. 26, which means he has already surpassed the required seven-day minimum and can be activated at any time.
“I don’t know that he’s going to make the [upcoming Seattle-Western Canada] trip initially,” head coach Mike Sullivan said of Durzi on Thursday before the Rangers beat the Flyers 3-2. “I think it all depends on how he progresses.”
After Durzi blocked a shot with his hand in the Rangers’ win over the Ducks last month, there was speculation he could have suffered a hand injury. A source refuted that notion and labeled his injury as lower body.
Durzi missed a few practices recently for what the team said was “maintenance,” but Sullivan later acknowledged that his second-pair defenseman was battling an injury. While Durzi hasn’t missed every practice and morning skate since sustaining his injury, the drop-off in his play is likely correlated to it.
As a result, Scott Morrow competed in his third straight game Thursday. He continues to skate on the right side of Alberts Smits.
Dylan Garand stopped 23 of the 25 shots he faced in his sixth win of the season.
The Rangers placed James Reimer on waivers Thursday in anticipation of Joonas Korpisalo’s return from a foot infection that has sidelined him since the beginning of the season.
“I believe he is,” Sullivan said when asked if Korpisalo would make the Rangers trip.
Despite being waived, Reimer backed up Garand against the Flyers.
In his first conditioning assignment with the Wolf Pack on Wednesday, Korpisalo made 34 saves in Hartford’s 4-1 loss at Hershey.
The Rangers received a good report from Korpisalo, who could play as soon as Friday in Seattle depending on how he feels.
The Rangers are scheduled to be off the ice Friday while they travel to Seattle.
