The Rangers announced Thursday morning that team captain Ryan Callahan will miss his first game of the season this evening when the Blueshirts skate against the Carolina Hurricanes at the RBC Center. Callahan suffered a bruised foot while blocking an Ilya Kovalchuk shot during the Rangers 2-0 win over New Jersey Monday night and has been unable to skate since.
Callahan's injury is still listed as day to day, though no one is quite sure yet when he will be bale to return to the lineup. So far this season Callahan has scored a career-high 25 goals to rank second on the team, and has totaled 47 points, also second most on the Rangers, in 61 games.
"You know we're going to miss him," head coach John Tortorella said after the morning skate. "Cally is our captain, and everyone knows that and he's handled himself very well, but the room is good as far as leadership and as far as what we need to do to get ready for each and every game."
Hulking newcomer John Scott will make his Rangers debut this evening after having been acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday afternoon. Scott will play forward, though Tortorella said he was unsure what his forward line combinations would be tonight.
"I want to make a good first impression," said Scott, who has gone over tape with the coaches to study how the Rangers play. "I definitely want to go out there on the right foot rather than do something stupid so hopefully I can go out there, minimize my mistakes and not get in any one's way. I am really excited. It should be good, and hopefully we come out of here with a (victory)."
Martin Biron will make his 16th start of the season in goal for the Rangers. He is 10-3-2 with a 2.21 goals against average so far this year, and backstopped the Blueshirts 5-3 win on December 1st in the Rangers last visit to the RBC Center.
Biron will try and reverse a recent trend that has seen him allow three goals or more in each of his last four starts, a 1-1-2 personal stretch for him. The last time Biron did not allow thre eor more goals was on January 14th when he shut out the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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