The Rangers 1-0 shootout loss to Winnipeg on Saturday was the least of the their losses that evening. New York saw both Ryan McDonagh and Kevin Klein leave the contest with varying degrees and types of injury. For a team already without two of their projected top-six blue liners, having two more sidelined as they began a very heavy month in November is not a recipe for success.
The game itself is almost a sidelight with much of the focus rightly on the injuries. I thought the offense generated solid pressure and good puck possession, but failed to capitalize on or generate enough rebound chances. As seen by the shutout, the power play, which did have some decent movement, failed to score again, making the man-advantage - almost a misnomer given the porous production - 2-for-28 on the season.
You couldn't help but be impressed by the play of the blueline following the absences of McDonagh and Klein. Just looking at the minutes of each player is impressive enough, but when you factor in the score and situation, you gain an even greater appreciated to what they did. Matt Hunwick has really stepped up his game and to me, has earned a spot even when the team is healthy on the back line. Michael Kostka stepped into a difficult situation with most - including myself - questioning his spot in the lineup. Dan Girardi was his Block Ness Monster self while Marc Staal continued his fine play and showed why he should be re-signed as soon as possible. In addition, I thought Henrik Lundqvist did a great job of controlled play, getting stoppages when needed, including the "equipment tweak" he needed to his helmet after making a save.
The minutes played by each d-man were:
Girardi played 34:50, 26:02 at even strength, 4:28 on the PP, 4:20 on the PK.
Staal played 29:33, 26:47 at even strength, :08 seconds on the PP, 2:38 on the PK.
Hunwick played 27:58, 19:24 at even strength, 5:30 on the PP and 3:04 on the PK
Kostka played 21:56, 20:14 at even strength, 1:40 on PK, :02 seconds on PP.
Now on to the MASH ward:
McDonagh's injury has been confirmed as a separated left shoulder, which will sideline him 3-4 weeks.The injury comes to the same shoulder that was hurt on the illegal hit by Alexander Burrows last year that cost McDonagh the final five games of the regular season and impacted him the first round of the playoffs. Because the injury came to the same shoulder on a clean hit by Evander Kane that McDonagh looked ready to absorb, the worry now has to be that the shoulder is chronically weak and subject to further injury. New York may need to look into some additional padding or type of harness to help McDonagh avoid further injury.
If McDonagh misses just three weeks, he could be back November 24. Four weeks, would mean a potential return Friday, November 28 or Saturday, November 29 against Philadelphia or Monday, December 1 against Tampa Bay. The Rangers could opt to be cautious and have him return Saturday, December 8 in Detroit or Monday December 10 against Pittsburgh. A three-week absence would cost McDonagh 10 games, which means putting him on LTIR for his own benefit and to save cap room for the team, which as you will see below impacted the roster call ups, would seem to make sense.
Klein is out for an indefinite period of time after blocking a Jacob Trouba shot with his left foot 38 seconds into the game. He was on crutches Sunday at the Rangers training facility and was slated to undergo an MRI. Hopefully, it's just a bruise and not a headline break, though X-Rays on Klein's foot were negative.
Dan Boyle, on LTIR with his broken right hand, skated again Sunday in a non-contact jersey and does not appear that close to returning. The injury, which occurred on Opening Night on October 9, still has some swelling but Boyle has been able to pass and shoot lightly. My estimation is that Boyle will miss about two-three more weeks with the hope it will be on the lighter side of that window.
To fill the void left by the absences of McDonagh and Klein, along with that of Boyle and the suspended John Moore, the Rangers called up Conor Allen and Dylan McIlrath, neither of whom were in Hartford's lineup for their 3pm game Sunday. The moves came after 5pm today due to cap and bonus impacts; both of which resulted in another move I will get to below. I have been championing calling up Allen, who is slated to make 925k in salary this year, while the second d-man could have been McIlrath, 703k salary, or Mat Bodie, 925k salary. New York is rewarding McIlrath for his improved play and I expect he and Allen to be a duo Monday night against St. Louis with Girardi and Hunwick and Staal and Kostka the other pairings.
To free up room for the salaries and possible bonuses of Allen and McIlrath, New York placed Ryan Malone on waivers. Malone, on a one-year, two-way contract that was signed Sept. 11, had been in-and-out of the lineup and was a healthy scratch Saturday. His presence on the moribund power play was a plus but he lacked the foot speed to be truly effective in coach Alain Vigneault's system and was miscast a bit as a fourth line player. If Malone clears waivers, which is unlikely given the need for forwards who can score in the league, he would make just 100k, saving the Rangers 600k.
The waiving of Malone pretty much seals Anthony Duclair remaining with the team. Duclair, who saw just two shifts in the third last night when Kevin Hayes was moved up to center Chris Kreider and Martin St. Louis, deserves too remain with the parent club. The same can be said for Hayes, who had some nice toe-drag moves but failed to pull the trigger. Both Duclair and Hayes are learning the speed and timing of the game, as to when to be quick and when you had time and patience is needed. Having them learn at this level, especially with Derek Stepan, who is close to returning but won't play Monday against the Blues, makes sense, especially given the lack of real viable options in the organization right now. The hope is that Stepan will be read to go Wednesday against Detroit, but since his injury was to his leg, which impacted his ability to stay in shape, I would err on the side of caution before thrusting him back into to 16-18 minutes of play.
When Stepan returns from his non-displaced fractured fibula, the lines should be Nash-Brassard-Zuccarello and Kreider-Stepan-St. Louis MSL. Hayes or Chris Mueller can center Hagelin and Duclair while Glass plays with Moore and Stempniak. If Hayes proves unable to adjust, then sen t him down and play Mueller or call up Oscar Lindberg to be the third line center until a deal is made. In addition, a decision of Duclair doesn't have to be made until December 19, which is when he would need to join Team Canada. Since his skill level is top-nine, see what he can do here as he learns the game at this level rather than sending him back to juniors.