Mika Zibanejad will miss his second straight game Saturday afternoon in Nashville, as the Blueshirts’ center has yet to skate since absorbing a punishing blow to the upper chest from Patrice Bergeron late in the first period of last Sunday’s Garden match against the Bruins.
“It’s more of a neck, upper-body thing,” David Quinn said of the center who has previously suffered multiple concussions, including one as a Ranger two seasons ago.
Absent Zibanejad, the Blueshirts will again line up down the middle with Ryan Strome, Filip Chytil, Brett Howden and Lias Andersson.
“I prefer to have [Zibanejad], that’s for sure, and when you look at our situation from the standpoint of our youth down the middle and when you look at it you think, ‘Boy we really do miss him’, and we really do,” said the coach.