BOSTON — The Rangers might have to make a roster move before tonight’s match at the Garden against the Devils if Brandon Prust is unable to go after taking a Gregory Campbell high stick around the right eye at 19:30 of the second period in last night’s 3-2 victory over the Bruins.
Prust, who staggered Milan Lucic in a first-period fight minutes after the Boston winger took out Alex Frolov on a neutral zone hit for which he was called for interference-missed the remainder of the contest.
He was examined and then released from the Eye and Ear Infirmary on Charles Street before accompanying his teammates home on the postgame charter. Though he suffered no damage to the eye, the Rangers won’t know Prust’s status for tonight until this morning.
The Rangers, who have approximately $1.6 million of cap space, are currently operating without a spare forward at the 23-player roster maximum, but can open a spot by placing Marian Gaborik or Chris Drury on injured reserve.
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Ruslan Fedotenko said Marc Stuart hit him on the side of the head on the high hit he took attempting to gain the Boston zone at 4:20 of the first. Stuart, who was not penalized on the play, was jumped by Sean Avery, who received a by the book instigator for initiating a fight following a “legal” hit.
“He hit me on the side of the head, it could be with the shoulder,” Fedotenko said. “I didn’t see him, [but] it’s part of the game. It’s hockey.”
Asked about Avery’s intervention, Fedotenko said: “It’s nice to see a teammate sticking up for you.”
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Derek Boogaard had his second fight in two games, this one with Boston enforcer Shawn Thornton. . . . Rangers broke an 0-for-14 power play stretch on Artem Anisimov‘s first-period mid-air backhand that stood after video review. Blueshirts, 1-for-6 in 10:14 of power play time, are 3-for-25 overall on man advantage, with the Anisimov-Brandon Dubinsky-Ryan Callahan unit on for all three.
Third defense pair of Matt Gilroy and Michael Sauer had three third-period shifts, none in the final 7:00. . . . Callahan played 22:45 seconds, 5:45 short-handed, while Dubinsky got 22:43, 4:31 killing.