With one regular defenseman already slow to return, the Rangers can ill afford to lose Dan Girardi.
The stalwart blueliner took a deflected Chris Kunitz shot to the right side of his face with 9:29 remaining in the third period of the Rangers’ 2-1 win over the Penguins in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Thursday night at the Garden.
Girardi didn’t return to the game, but coach Alain Vigneault didn’t seem overly concerned that he might miss some time.
“The only thing I heard after the game was that the dentist was looking at him,” Vigneault said.