The Rangers have not confirmed that Ruslan Fedotenko suffered a concussion as a result of his collision with Dominic Moore on Thursday night for which the Tampa Bay center was fined $2,500 for “an interference infraction that caused an injury,” but the winger who missed the weekend sweep over Philadelphia and Washington could play in Boston tomorrow night.
“I would think he’d come on the trip,” coach John Tortorella said after yesterday’s 3-2 Garden victory over the Capitals. “I saw Feds before the game and he said he was feeling better.”
Ryan McDonagh crumpled to the ice in pain, clutching his left knee, after scoring to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead at 12:21 of the second period, but whatever the issue, the defenseman returned just 2:26 later and finished with a game-high 25:23.
McDonagh hinted the problem was muscular, calling it a “little tweak” he has experienced before. He seemed somewhat embarrassed by the attention itreceived.
“It actually probably looked a little funny,” said McDonagh, who was helped off the ice to the locker room. “Everyone was trying to gather around [to celebrate the goal] and I was on the ice in pain.”
Brandon Prust’s short-handed goal yesterday at 6:26 of the third was his first since Oct. 20 in Calgary, ending a drought of 48 games.
“It felt like 100 games,” said Prust, who has three goals overall, the last two short-handed.
Asked whether he envisioned scoring, Prust said, “Only in my dreams.”
“He’s a real easy guy to pull for,” said Tortorella, who then asked if Prust had been awarded the Broadway Hat.
When told that the hat had been awarded to McDonagh (by Ryan Callahan, who was awarded it on Saturday), Tortorella said, “Pruster should have gotten the hat.”
Henrik Lundqvist started back-to-back yesterday (after Philadelphia on Saturday) for the third time this season and the first time since Nov. 25-26, when he reversed it by starting first in Washington and then at home against the Flyers in matinees. The King also started back-to-back the first two days of the season in Stockholm against the Kings and Ducks.
“[Lundqvist] needs flow; Benoit is really good at understanding that,” said Tortorella, referring to goaltending coach Benoit Allaire. “It’s not always about playing Hank back-to-back, the situation sets up here. “He plays his games, he is going to play his games, and there’s going to be a pocket of time where he’s going to have some rest and some practice time. That’s how we go about his schedule.”
Lundqvist, who undoubtedly will get the call tomorrow night in Boston, has started 41 of the Rangers’ 55 games.
The Rangers then play at home Thursday against the Blackhawks and Sunday against the Blue Jackets.
AHL conditioning assignments for Wojtek Wolski and Jeff Woywitka that began on Feb. 2 are scheduled to end Wednesday. Both have remained on the Rangers’ roster while playing for the AHL Whale. The Rangers are at the 23-player maximum.