About two hour before the drop of the puck Thursday night at The Garden, Rangers head coach John Tortorella announced that Brandon Dubinsky would not be able to play against the Ottawa Senators due to a sore shoulder and that Wojtek Wolski would take his spot in the lineup.
Dubinsky, who will miss his first game of the season tonight, hurt his right shoulder when checked hard into the boards by Taylor Pyatt late in the first period of Tuesday's 2-1 win over Phoenix. The Rangers' fan favorite was able to finish the game, but he did not practice Wednesday and was declared out on Thursday.
"He's sore and he's not able to play," Tortorella said of Dubinsky, who is 5-16-21 on the season through 40 games. "We just want to get him healthy so that it doesn't turn into a bigger thing."
Wolski will be playing tonight for the first time since undergoing sports hernia surgery more than two months ago. It will be his first action in 30 games and only his seventh game played this year. In six previous games Wolski has two assists.
Tortorella would not say which line Wolski would skate on tonight.
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