Head coach Gerard Gallant of the Rangers looks on against the Dallas Stars at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021. Credit: Jim McIsaac
NASHVILLE – With his team still missing two of its top forwards in Ryan Strome (COVID-19 protocol) and Kaapo Kakko (upper-body injury), Rangers coach Gerard Gallant decided the time is right for him to put his top two offensive forwards, Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin, on the same line.
Gallant had put the two together, with Chris Kreider, for the third period of Monday’s 2-1 overtime win in Toronto – in which Panarin scored the game-winning goal, on a pass from Zibanejad.