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Flyers’ Carter Hart will miss at least two more games with knee injury, but Alain Vigneault isn’t concerned

The goalie had a strong performance in his last outing, a 2-1 shootout win over Pittsburgh last Thursday. Hart will not be available Thursday or Friday.

New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad puts a shot past Flyers goalie Carter Hart on March 25. He had natural hat tricks in consecutive games against the Flyers last month.
New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad puts a shot past Flyers goalie Carter Hart on March 25. He had natural hat tricks in consecutive games against the Flyers last month.Read moreYONG KIM / Staff Photographer

Carter Hart has a mild knee sprain, and there’s no reason to panic, coach Alain Vigneault said after the Flyers goalie again missed practice Wednesday in Voorhees.

“I’m not concerned at all,” Vigneault said. “It’s just taken a little longer than we had originally anticipated. It’s not serious. Hopefully, in the next few days he’s back on the ice.”

Hart has missed the last two games and will not travel to New York for games against the Rangers on Thursday and Friday, Vigneault said. He tweaked his knee in his last appearance, a solid 2-1 shootout win over the Penguins last Thursday.

The hope was that Hart, who has struggled mightily most of the year, could get on a little roll, gain some confidence, and take it into next season.

That’s now on hold.

“He had the MRI and it’s nothing serious,” Vigneault said.

Brian Elliott will start Thursday against the Rangers in the first of back-to-back games at Madison Square Garden. Alex Lyon will likely start Friday against the Blueshirts, whose offense has erupted against the Flyers this year, including 9-0 and 8-3 victories.

» READ MORE: Nolan Patrick is ready to return as the Flyers will ‘find out a lot about our guys’ in the last 11 games

Elliott is 2-1 against the Rangers with a 3.90 GAA and an .842 save percentage this season.

The Rangers, who had won four straight before Tuesday’s 6-1 loss to the Islanders, are in fifth place in the East Division, four points behind Boston for the final playoff spot. The Bruins have two games in hand.

The Flyers have dropped to sixth in the division, five points behind the Rangers.

Mika Zibanejad has put up ridiculous numbers against the Flyers this season. In six games, he has seven goals and 15 points. Remarkably, Zibanejad had a natural hat trick (three consecutive goals) and six points in two consecutive games against the Flyers.

In New York’s 9-0 win over the Flyers, he had six points in one period to tie an NHL record.

The Flyers are 3-2-1 against the Rangers this year despite being outscored, 27-16.

Breakaways

Based on practice, Nolan Patrick will return to the lineup Thursday and center Oskar Lindblom and Nic Aube-Kubel. Phil Myers will be on the third pairing with Shayne Gostisbehere, while Samuel Morin will come out of the lineup. … Wade Allison will stay on the second line, which includes Kevin Hayes and Joel Farabee. … Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba, who suffered a suspected concussion when absorbing Matt Martin’s hit in Tuesday’s loss to the Isles, is not expected to play in either game against the Flyers. … Flyers rookie winger Tanner Laczynski has a hip injury and did not practice again. He is getting a second opinion from doctors, Vigneault said. ... The Flyers have lost four of their last five. … Defenseman Mason Millman, 19, was recalled from the Phantoms and placed on the taxi squad; he practiced with taxi-squad players Wednesday.