NHL teams
Katie Strang, ESPN.com 9y

Rangers' Dan Girardi leaves after taking puck to face in Game 1 vs. Pens

NHL, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins

NEW YORK -- Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi left the team's 2-1 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday with an upper-body injury.

Girardi skated off to the trainer's room in the third period of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden after taking a puck to the face off Chris Kunitz' shot.

Girardi was down on the ice in apparent pain and was slow to get up, looking shaken as he was helped off the ice.

After the game, coach Alain Vigneault said he had no update on Girardi but that the team dentist was "looking at him."

"I didn't really give it a second thought. I mean, we were down to a few minutes in the game, you've got to play with the players you have available and that's what we did," Vigneault said.

It was not immediately clear what Girardi's status is for Game 2 against the Penguins.

The Rangers were already without Kevin Klein, who is recovering from a broken arm that kept him from playing in the series opener.

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