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Rangers lose Mats Zuccarello for entire second round (Report)
The New York Rangers kick off Round 2 Thursday night at Madison Square Garden against the Washington Capitals and hours before Game 1 they lost a key piece to their roster.
According to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, Mats Zuccarello will miss the at least their second round series after what’s believed to be a concussion suffered when he took a puck to the head during Game 5 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Beyond that, Zuccarello’s availability for a hypothetical Eastern Conference final, and indeed, the Stanley Cup final itself, is in doubt.
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It is unknown whether the 27-year-old Norwegian, who was hospitalized for at least one night over the weekend, suffered additional damage.
Marty St. Louis will move into Zuccarello’s spot on the unit with center Derick Brassard and left wing Rick Nash, thus reforming the line that was intact for eight games in November.
Just as the Rangers get Kevin Klein back into the lineup on the blueline, they lose Zuccarello up front. James Sheppard will draw into on the Rangers' fourth line, according to their lines at Thursday's morning skate. With the Hartford Wolf Pack readying for their do-or-die Game 5 AHL quarterfinal against Providence Friday night, New York won't be recalling a forward just yet, says head coach Alain Vigneault.
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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy
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