Rangers lose game, winger loses tooth

New York Rangers winger Barclay Goodrow left Tuesday night’s game against the Ottawa Senators after sustaining an “upper-body injury,” as head coach Peter Laviolette describes it.

That injury? Taking a puck to the face and losing a tooth.

Goodrow was struck early in the first period after teammate K’Andre Miller shot it back into the offensive zone to keep the play alive. Goodrow hit the ice immediately and left a tooth behind as he skated to the bench. He did not return to play in the game, and the Rangers lost the game 6-2, snapping a three-game winning streak.

“Listen, that happens,” Laviolette said to the media after the game. “Certainly we don’t like to see that, he’s an important part of our team for a lot of different reasons.”

Goodrow is a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Tampa Bay Lightning and was acquired by the Rangers in 2021. In 23 games played this season, he has three points so far this season. The Blueshirts sit atop the Metropolitan division and will play again on Dec. 9 against the Washington Capitals. Goodrow could be back in the lineup if it is just a matter of his tooth falling out, and nothing more serious.