• ESPN News Services

Mar 17, 2024, 03:53 PM ET

NEW YORK — Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren left Sunday’s 5-2 win over the New York Islanders with a leg injury suffered in the second period.

Lindgren fell awkwardly into a corner on the back end of a hit from Islanders forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau and was eventually led into his club’s locker room. As he was falling, he reached for his leg and could be heard screaming.

After the win, Rangers coach Peter Laviolette told reporters that Lindgren was still being evaluated by staff and that the concern was for the veteran’s left knee.

A workhorse on the blue line, Lindgren entered Sunday’s game averaging 19:18 of ice time for a team that has been in first place in the Metropolitan Division most of the season. He has just two goals and 12 points but was a plus-18 before Sunday.

A second-round pick in 2016 by the Boston Bruins, Lindgren, 26, has been in the NHL for six seasons, all with the Rangers.

After he left the game, Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere scored third-period goals, as the Rangers outlasted their rival.

“Our team is deep right now,” Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck said. “We are getting contributions up and down the lineup. Even when lines aren’t scoring, they are contributing in other ways. Getting the momentum, keeping the puck in the O-zone. If we can continue to do that, I like our chances against anybody.”

Bo Horvat scored twice, and Ilya Sorokin made 26 saves, but the Islanders lost their fourth consecutive game.

The Rangers scored three times in the second period to erase a one-goal deficit and take a 3-2 lead.

“I saw a team that played better than us today,” Islanders coach Patrick Roy said. “They managed the puck much better than what we did. They were very fast on transition. I thought they had more energy than us. … [The Rangers] did what they had to do and that’s why they’re first in our division.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.