The plan was for Ryan McDonagh, promoted from the AHL Whale on Monday in the personnel switch with Michael Del Zotto, to practice for a few days with the Rangers so that the coaching staff would have an opportunity to assess the 21-year-old rookie pro’s NHL readiness.
McDonagh might have to be ready sooner than anyone expected, because there’s a chance Michal Rozsival will not be able to play in tomorrow night’s match in Dallas that opens a weekend trip that concludes Saturday in St. Louis.
Rozsival pulled a muscle near his rib cage early in the third that kept him off the ice for the final 11:33 of the third and the 3:09 of last night’s 2-1 Garden overtime victory over the Hurricanes. He is considered “day-to-day,” according to coach John Tortorella.
Tortorella then confirmed that McDonagh, who signed this summer following his junior year at Wisconsin, would be one of the seven defensemen making the trip. Thus if Rozsival cannot go, McDonagh will be set to make his NHL debut.
Marc Staal, who had a big game matched all night against his brother, Eric, played 10:53 in the third, finishing with a game-high 30:10 in ice time.
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Ryan Callahan, who has been out since sustaining a broken left hand blocking a shot in Pittsburgh on Dec. 15, was cleared to begin light skating on his own following an exam at the Garden last night.
The alternate captain will not make the trip but will skate at the club’s practice rink in Westchester on Sunday.
The Rangers did not yield much in terms of odd-man rushes, but when Carolina swept away on a 3-on-1 just under seven minutes into the third period of what was a scoreless game, Steve Eminger dove and used his stick to break it up.
“We didn’t give up many odd-man rushed but that was a doozie,” Tortorella said. “Emmy made a big play. That’s what wins games the second half-big plays and details.”
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Matt Gilroy, whose goal gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead at 8:41 of the third, said his confidence is not dependent on knowing he’s all but certain to get a run of games in the lineup following Del Zotto’s demotion.
“No, that doesn’t play into it,” said Gilroy. “I’m more confident now than I was five weeks ago because of my play and because of the coaches’ confidence and trust in me, but I stopped worrying about whether I’d be in or out a long time ago, because that it isn’t anything I can control.”
The Rangers, 0-for-3 on the power play, are 0-for-11 in their last four games.
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Tortorella on where the team stands at the halfway point: “I think we’re going in the right direction, I know we’re going in the right direction, but it’s a fine line between winning and losing. It comes down to details.”