Flu sidelines red-hot Kaapo Kakko

TAMPA, Fla. — Turns out that all the swagger that Kaapo Kakko was accumulating also got him the flu.

The 18-year-old Rangers rookie was a late scratch for the team’s awful 9-3 loss to the Lightning on Thursday night.

“He’s just battling the flu,” coach David Quinn said, after Kakko took warm-ups and then was deemed not good to go.

The No. 2-overall pick had been on fire, scoring twice in Tuesday night’s 3-2 win against the Penguins at the Garden, including the overtime winner. He had five goals in the past seven games, now with six tallies through the opening 16 games of his NHL career.

The Rangers’ leader in ice time, defenseman Jacob Trouba, was forced to leave the game with 10:22 left in the second period due to an upper-body injury, and did not return. The club is optimistic about him being available for Saturday’s game against the Panthers in Sunrise, Fla.

“Hopefully he’ll be ready to go,” Quinn said.

Goalie Alexandar Georgiev was pulled after giving up four goals on eight shots in the opening 6:42 of the game, replaced by Henrik Lundqvist, who gave up four goals on 19 shots over 33:18 of ice time. Georgiev then started the third period. Lundqvist is still set to get the start on Saturday.

“I don’t like doing it,” Quinn said, “but I thought it was the best thing to do.”

This was the 13th relief appearance of Lundqvist’s career and first since Feb. 9, 2018, against Calgary, when he replaced the injured Ondrej Pavelec. It was also Lundqvist’s 867th career NHL appearance, now one short of tying Grant Fuhr for 10th place on the NHL’s all-time appearances list.

Artemi Panarin extended his points streak to a career-best 10 games, notching two assists. During the 10-game stretch, Panarin has four goals and 11 assists.

He is the first Ranger who has registered a 10-game point streak or longer since Rick Nash posted an 11-game point streak during the 2014-15 season.

Micheal Haley got into the lineup after being a healthy scratch for the past three games. He took 24 minutes in penalties, including one sequence at 19:16 of the second period when he was called for slashing, roughing, and got the first of his two 10-minute misconducts.

The Rangers are only carrying one extra player due to injuries to top-line center Mika Zibanejad (missed his eighth straight with an upper-body injury) and veteran defenseman Marc Staal (third straight, ankle surgery).