Long Island's Shane Pinto suffers injury in game against Rangers and Team USA coach Mike Sullivan

OTTAWA, Ontario — When his Senators hosted the Rangers on Thursday night at Canadian Tire Centre, Shane Pinto’s top priority was to win the game and help Ottawa maintain its spot in the top three positions in the Atlantic Division.

Unfortunately for the Franklin Square native, he didn’t get much of a chance to do that. He left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury after a collision with the Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad.

The injury probably damaged Pinto’s chance to make an impression on Rangers coach Mike Sullivan, who happens to be the coach for the U.S. Olympic team. Pinto, 25, is in the running for a spot on the Olympic squad.

Sullivan said before the game that he’d be watching the Ottawa centerman.

“That takes place the next day when I break the game film down,’’ he said when asked if it’s really possible to look at Olympic candidates on the other team while he’s trying to coach the Rangers. “ I have the ability to watch both our teams, but I can also key in on our opponents. And I do that all the time.’’

The 6-3, 206-pound Pinto, who was the first pick in the second round of the 2019 draft (No. 32 overall) by the Senators, did go to the U.S. Orientation camp and is having a good season with 12 goals with six assists. He had a 53.8% faceoff win rate in 26 games before Thursday and Sullivan said he’s proving to be a strong defensive forward.

“I think he’s always been a very conscientious player defensively. He checks well positionally, he’s a very sound player,’’ Sullivan said. “One of the guys on my staff, [assistant coach] Ty Hennes, was on the staff for the World Championships in the Czech Republic, in Prague, when Shane was on [Team USA at the 2024 IIHF World Championships].

“[U.S. team general manager] Billy Guerin and I went over to watch that team and always in the right spots. There’s a lot of detail around his game away from the puck.

“I think what he’s shown this year is that there’s an offensive side to his game. And that’s, I think, a growth in his game. That’s exciting for him and for us as Americans.’’

If Pinto makes the team, there could be three Long Islanders on the roster. Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (Jericho) currently is on LTIR with an upper-body injury but is expected to be healed in plenty of time to play. He is having a strong season and is considered a strong candidate to make the team, as is Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy of Long Beach.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.