Four days ago, we wrote about how Rick Nash recovered from a groin injury and rejoined the Rangers.
Now, a new problem.
Same injury, different area.
After playing just 37 seconds of New York’s shootout win over the Devils on Sunday, Nash has reportedly been diagnosed with another groin strain, per the Post. It’s believed the injury occurred during the overtime session, but is on the other side from the original ailment.
That initial one, suffered in a Dec. 6 loss to the Isles, wasn’t especially severe -- but was the first groin strain of his career.
“I was turning on the backcheck, took one bad stride and heard it pop,” Nash explained at the time, also per the Post. “After I went through the testing, the doctor called me and said, ‘If you’re going to have this, it’s the best place it could be.’ ”
Nash was second on the Rangers in goals (with 11) at the time of his injury, then scored twice in his first two games back to move into a tie with Michael Grabner for the team lead. Throughout this year he’s been an important trigger man for one of the NHL’s best offenses, which is why this latest setback could prove costly.
There is no clear timeframe for Nash’s return to action. If there is a silver lining here, it’s the schedule -- thanks to the holiday break, the Blueshirts play just three times in the next nine nights: Tuesday against Pittsburgh, Friday against Minnesota, then Dec. 27 against Ottawa.