NHL teams have only become more tight-lipped with injury information as the playoffs roll on, so it’s no surprise that the New York Rangers are providing next to zero details about center Derick Brassard. Head coach Alain Vigneault would only say that Brassard is day-to-day while the forward indicated that he might know more about his condition on Sunday.
Vigneault wouldn’t even provide the standard (well, standard in the regular season) “upper-body” or “lower-body” designation after the Rangers’ big Game 1 victory in Montreal.
Brassard is day to day, per Vigneualt. Upper or lower? "Pick one"
— Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) May 17, 2014
As much as NHL players are celebrated for fighting through pain, there are times when an athlete might be limited to the extent that his presence can actually be a detriment to his team. Brassard apparently came to that conclusion after being shaken up by a big hit by Habs defenseman Mike Weaver.
#NYR #MTL Brassard on if he can play on Mon: "Not sure. We'll see how I feel tomorrow. I didn't feel like I could help the team [after hit]"
— Katie Strang (@KatieJStrang) May 17, 2014
Obviously, the Rangers did just fine without Brassard, but the team probably wouldn’t mind having the talented 26-year-old in their lineup considering the likelihood of a spirited response from the Canadiens in Game 2 on Monday.
Here is video of that hit:
We’ll see if Brassard has a better idea about his condition on Sunday or if he ends up being closer to a game-time decision.