Along with all the intrigue about the young Rangers forwards during the preseason, the mystery of the last spots on the blueline had its own narrative. Coach Alain Vigneault first said he would keep seven defensemen. Then he favored having eight, which is how the Blueshirts began the season. But thinking about the big-picture effects of the salary cap, he said recently that seven was the preferred number.
Suddenly, just two games into the season, the Rangers (1-1) are down to six healthy defensemen — Dan Girardi left Saturday’s game in St. Louis early in the second period with a hip-flexor injury that Vigneault said would be “more than day-to-day.