New York Rangers, Cody McLeod
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

New York Rangers forward Cody McLeod fractured his hand against the New York Islanders and will be out of action 4-6 weeks.

Frank Curto

New York Rangers veteran Cody McLeod broke his hand in Wednesday’s 5-0 win over the New York Islanders and will be sidelined 4-6 weeks.

McLeod’s injury is unfortunate, as he did everything possible not to engage in a fight with New York Islanders Ross Johnston in the second period Wednesday night. McLeod threw a massive hit on Johnston, who tried to bait McLeod into a fight.

McLeod was able to get away from Johnston, but at the next whistle Johnston skated up to McLeod and initiated a fight. Though McLeod tried to avoid the second confrontation, he wound up engaging and fractured his hand in the ensuing altercation.

This news on McLeod is discouraging, as he had just scored his first goal of the season in the first period to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead.

McLeod played on the fourth line alongside Lias Andersson and Steven Fogarty Wednesday night. The forward has played pretty consistently in the team’s lineup, adding speed, size, and scoring to the fourth line.

McLeod has become a reliable forward who always stands up for his teammates when an opposing player tries to take advantage of another Ranger on the ice.

The Rangers’ injury bug has been ongoing, with defenseman Adam McQuaid and forward Mats Zuccarello remaining out of the lineup the past two weeks.

The Rangers will face the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday afternoon in a nationally televised game on NBC at 1:00 p.m. in Philly. The team will then head back to New York for a Saturday matinee game against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals on Saturday afternoon.

Head coach David Quinn and the organization have not recalled any player from the AHL Hartford Wolf Pack yet, as the team hopes Zuccarello can return to the lineup to face the Flyers on Friday afternoon.

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A graduate of St. John's University class of '91. I have been a fan of the New York Rangers since the days of Peter Puck. Founder of Ranger Proud, the Facebook page that covers all news, notes, pre /post-game stats, and player quotes. I can be reached at Nyrfc12@gmail.com