Rangers' Brassard leaves Game 1 with injury

MONTREAL -- New York Rangers center Derick Brassard was described as day-to-day by coach Alain Vigneault following a 7-2 win against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final at Bell Centre.

The Rangers lead the best-of-7 series with Game 2 on Monday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS).

Brassard played two shifts totaling 35 seconds in Game 1. He left the game and did not return after Montreal defenseman Mike Weaver connected on an open-ice, shoulder-to-shoulder hit on Brassard's left side at 3:03 of the first period.

Vigneault would not specify the nature of Brassard's injury, saying "pick one" when he was asked if it was to his upper body or lower body.

The Rangers used three centers the rest of the way, and Dominic Moore stepped up and had an assist on their first two goals, scored by Martin St. Louis and Mats Zuccarello within a span of 4:24 after Weaver's hit on Brassard.

Moore played 26 shifts totaling 16:36, a high in ice time for him in the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"One of the strengths of our team is our depth, it has been all year long," Moore said. "I don't think any of us think about it other than just trying to do your job. That's what we did."

Brassard played well for the Rangers in the first two rounds, scoring four goals, including two game-winners, with three assists in 14 games. He scored all of his goals in the second round against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

"In a playoff series, in anything, you have to have guys who step up in situations if guys go down or if a guy is missing a few shifts," Rangers defenseman Marc Staal said. "It helps with [Brian Boyle] being a center and Moore being a center. He stepped in seamlessly and the guys did a great job, nobody panicked."

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