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Rangers Shake Up Defense As Durzi Sits With Undisclosed Injury
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- Rangers Shake Up Defense As Durzi Sits With Undisclosed Injury
Brad Penner-Imagn Images
The New York Rangers faced a sudden blue-line crisis on Sunday night when Sean Durzi sat out against the Edmonton Oilers. For the first time this season, head coach Mike Sullivan was compelled to rearrange his defense pairs due to Durzi's sidelining. The 28-year-old defenseman had played in all 14 previous games before this undisclosed injury forced him to the bench. Sullivan promoted Braden Schneider from the third pair to skate alongside Marcus Pettersson. This move left a gap that required a fresh face to fill the right side of the third pair.
Morrow Steps Up When Called
Scott Morrow, who turned 24 on Sunday, made his season debut to fill the void left by Durzi. Despite the long wait, Morrow handled the pressure well during the 4-1 loss to the Oilers. He logged 15:02 of ice time and recorded an assist on the Rangers' lone goal. Morrow told The Post on Sunday morning that he felt ready for the moment. "Just view myself as being ready to go," Morrow said before the game, according to the New York Post . He also noted his physical state was strong despite the time spent watching from the press box.
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"I'm in good physical condition and just excited to get in there," Morrow added to reporters. He expressed no frustration over his extended time on the bench, focusing instead on the organization's faith in him. "Just got to have patience and know that whenever an opportunity comes you just got to be ready to take advantage of it," he said. He handled the speed of the NHL in a losing effort.
Hidden Injury Concerns
In recent weeks, Coach Sullivan admitted that Durzi is dealing with a specific injury. The team has not labeled the injury as upper or lower body yet, which adds to the uncertainty. While blocking a shot during the 5-2 win over the Ducks, Durzi took a puck off the hand. That incident happened before the recent "maintenance days" that led to his absence. Through his first 14 games as a Ranger, the 28-year-old had collected two goals and three assists. With him out, the team must turn to younger players who have seen little game action this year.
Dylan Garand made 21 saves out of 24 shots during his 10th straight game in net. The rookie goalie has been a steady presence since relieving Igor Shesterkin following his season-ending injury. The Rangers achieved a season-high single-game faceoff win percentage of 64 against Edmonton. Will Cuylle and Luke Glendening led the way in the draw circle to help control the game flow. The team found success in other areas, while the defensive shakeup drew significant attention from fans. Durzi's health status is unclear, giving the coaching staff few options for the next matchup.
