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Thrashers-Rangers Preview

Nov 12, 2009 - 5:23 AM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

Atlanta (7-6-1) at New York (10-7-1), 7:00 p.m. EDT

Mounting injuries might become a problem for the struggling New York Rangers, but the expected return of Henrik Lundqvist should provide a lift.

The All-Star goaltender, however, may have to contend with the potential return of high-scoring Ilya Kovalchuk on Thursday night when the Rangers face the Atlanta Thrashers at Madison Square Garden.

New York (10-7-1) is 3-6-1 after a seven-game winning streak, and concluded a 1-2 Western Canada trip by falling 3-1 at Calgary on Saturday. The Rangers were also dealt a pair of severe blows with injuries to captain Chris Drury (concussion) and center Brandon Dubinsky (undisclosed). The availability of both players is unknown.

Drury left Saturday after less than a minute of play when he was hit by the Flames' Curtis Glencross. The center was struck away from the puck and immediately dropped to the ice, where he was tended to for a couple of minutes before being helped to the dressing room.

Dubinsky left the game in the second period, but coach John Tortorella may have been more concerned with the lack of a penalty call on the hit to Drury.

"It was a missed call, it should have been a major, they missed it," Tortorella said.

Glencross was suspended three games by the league on Monday.

The Rangers, 6-2-0 at MSG, could get a significant boost if Lundqvist is able to return from an undisclosed injury that kept him out of the last two games. He's 8-5-1 with a 2.52 goals-against average in 15 games, but has proved to be more effective at home, posting a 5-1-0 mark with a 2.06 GAA and his lone shutout of the season.

Lundqvist, though, has also been impressive in eight home meetings with Atlanta (7-6-1), going 4-1-3 with a 1.82 GAA. If he can't play, then Stephen Valiquette would get a third consecutive start after splitting the last two games while stopping 45 of 50 shots.

Atlanta could have Kovalchuk back after he unexpectedly traveled to New York, but the left wing's status is uncertain.

He was expected to miss three to five weeks after suffering a broken bone in his right foot when he was hit by the puck during a 4-3 loss to San Jose on Oct. 24. He was tied for second in the league with nine goals at the time of the injury.

Kovalchuk, the Thrashers' all-time leader with 306 goals and 567 points, has 13 goals and 12 assists in 26 games against the Rangers.

Atlanta is 3-3-0 without its captain, and coming off Sunday's 3-2 shootout win over St. Louis, as defensemen Tobias Enstrom and Ron Hainsey scored to erase a two-goal third-period deficit before left wing Slava Kozlov clinched the win with the decisive shootout attempt.

It was an improved effort from a night earlier when the Thrashers lost 6-3 at the New York Islanders.

"We weren't floundering in our zone as much because we played the body a lot more and helped out when the time was right," coach John Anderson said. "Forwards were collapsing in front the net, all the little things that add up. I just thought our concerted effort was much better (Sunday)."

While both clubs are dealing with injuries, the Rangers might be happy with Marian Gaborik's surprising durability.

The oft-injured right wing missed two games last month with a lower-body injury, but has two goals and two assists in four games since. He leads the team with 12 goals and 22 points, and has five goals and three assists in his last five games against Atlanta.

The Rangers went 2-0-2 against the Thrashers last season, going 1-0-1 at home.