Rangers awaiting status on Chris Kreider following big hit (video)

The Rangers might be looking at a little injury being added to the insult that is the start of their season.

New York, which is off to an 0-2-0 start after Sunday's 6-3 loss on home ice to the Penguins, is waiting to hear about the status of rookie forward Chris Kreider after he took a huge open-ice hit from Brooks Orpik on Sunday.

The hit itself was clean, a perfect example of how to hit in the open ice. It was a big impact that sent Kreider flying, but that can happen when rookies go through the neutral zone with their heads down.

With the big hit and the apparent rough shape that Kreider was in leaving the ice, you can't help but think of the dreaded concussion. That's nothing but speculation here, but any time you see a big hit like this, the thought has to creep into your mind.

Seriously injured or just hurt, Kreider will surely take a lesson away from this one.

For the record, Rangers coach John Tortorella wasn't upset about the hit. In fact, he seemed to welcome it, as strange as that might sound.

"That's a big problem with our club right now, is maybe we need to get whacked around a little bit more to wake us up," Tortorella said (via Pat Leonard).

Kreider is one of the many promising rookies across the NHL this season. The Boston College product hit the stage with a bang, joining the Rangers last postseason and scoring five goals along the way. But this year during the lockout he struggled mightily with the AHL Connecticut Whale.

S/t to PHT

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