DALLAS — There’s a new nickname brewing for Jesper Fast.
After breaking his nose in practice Friday, Fast put on a full clear mask and played a terrific game in the Rangers’ 3-2 win over the Stars at American Airlines Center on Saturday afternoon.
“Tremendous courage on his part to go out there,” coach Alain Vigneault said, who normally uses “Quickie” to refer to Fast. “I guess he had blood coming out of his nose all throughout the night. It was very hard for him to sleep. Put the full face on, and — The Courageous Swede.”
Fast set up the game-winning goal when he knocked down a pass along the wall then turned and fired it to Derek Stepan in front, who put it on a tee for Kevin Klein to rip a wrist shot past goalie Kari Lehtonen. In his first game playing with a full clear shield, Fast was winning battles all over the ice and making plays.
“I’ve felt better,” the understated Fast said. “But just try to play my game, do my job out there and do my best.”
The 24-year-old from Nassjo, Sweden, also had a cut on his left cheek, but he was thankful he didn’t lose any teeth.
“It’s a lot of blood,” Fast said. “Just a lot of ice and stuff.”
Vigneault didn’t have much to say about the Stars’ no-goal that remained so after an official review from Toronto. At 9:27 of the third period, the puck got behind goalie Henrik Lundqvist and was smothered by Ryan McDonagh, obscuring most of the camera angles from seeing if it crossed the goal line.
When the referee explained the video was “inconclusive,” Dallas coach Lindy Ruff went berserk, hitting a stick against the boards and screaming profusely at the refs. Vigneault, meanwhile, took it in stride.
“It was tough to see,” Vigneault said. “There wasn’t a clear angle. That’s what Toronto decided. That’s basically all I can say about that goal, and fortunately for us, it was good.”
The Rangers put a decal on the back of all their helmets to honor Andy Bathgate, who died Friday. The initials “AB” appeared inside a Rangers crest to the left of each player’s number. They will wear it the rest of the season.
The Stars even had a short tribute video to Bathgate before the game.
Forward Rick Nash missed his 15th consecutive game with a bone bruise in his left leg, which Vigneault said is being treated like a fracture, making him “week-to-week.” Since he was hurt Jan. 22, the Rangers are 9-4-1. In the 17 games Nash has missed this season, the team is 11-4-1.
Rookie defenseman Dylan McIlrath was a healthy scratch for the second straight game and the third time in the past five games.