FARMERS BRANCH, Texas — Rangers forward Jesper Fast was hit in the left cheek with a puck at practice Friday afternoon outside Dallas, and he was down on ice for a couple minutes before being helped off with a gash under his left eye, disoriented, with his face bloodied.
The Rangers stopped their special teams drill immediately. The rink went silent, and his teammates helped Fast off ice with the help of trainers, but the incident casts doubt for Fast's availability for Saturday afternoon's game against the Stars. The Rangers only have 12 forwards on this trip, so they may have to play with only 11 forwards and seven defensemen.