News from Practice: "Bad Day" for Drury, and Other Injury Updates

Among the list of players that are dealing with injuries, Chris Drury (concussion) and Brandon Dubinsky (broken hand) will definitely not being playing Thursday night against the Thrashers, while Lundqvist (groin/thigh) and Lisin (foot) are questionable, but likely. Starting with Drury, head coach John Tortorella mentioned that the Rangers Captain had a "bad day" today and was sent home early as a result. Drury has been ruled out for both tomorrow's game at MSG and Saturday's tilt in Ottawa, as Torts believes he just needs some time away from the rink to get straightened out.

John Tortorella on Drury courtesy of Andrew Gross at Ranger Rants......

“I know he had a good day yesterday but he came to the rink today and he wasn’t great,” Tortorella said. “We’re going to keep him away from the rink. I don’t foresee him for Thursday or Saturday by any means. We just need to keep him away from the rink. I think he gets frustrated being at the rink, being the way he is. I don’t think that’s helping him right now. We’ll keep him away…let him get settled.”

So it looks like Drury will need some more time to recover than what Torts first thought on Monday. Chris, as I predicted on Sunday, is very cyclic in the way he has felt. One day, he feels like he will be good to go for the next game, when the next day the concussion takes effect and results in Dru not feeling like himself....all common symptoms of concussions.

Dubinsky, who did not offer a timetable on his recovery, will not being playing tomorrow, obviously, as a Jay Bouwmeetser slapshot broke his hand Saturday night in Calgary. Steve Zipay of Newsday first said that Dubi will be out for three weeks, while Larry Brooks of the New York Post said six weeks, so I would estimate anywhere between three to six weeks. Dubinsky himself, however, still is unsure of when exactly he will be able to return.

Dubinsky on his injury........

"Basically, for lack of a better word, it blew my hand up, basically,” Dubinsky said. “It was a compression cut from getting hit so it was bleeding pretty bad going off the ice and into the dressing room."

“I had an inclination,” Dubinsky said. “When you get hit like that, to feel, the way it felt, I knew it wasn’t a good sign. I’ve been hit with a lot of pucks, I’ve suffered a lot of bruises. But this one was a lot different than that. I put my stick in my left hand because I couldn’t even hang onto it so I knew it was going to be tough.”

With both centers not in the lineup, John Tortorella sees no need to make any call-ups from Hartford, implying that he intends on rotating three centers among the four lines. This means that Artem Anisimov will be centering the second line, and Lisin the third. Prospal will be between Gaborik and Lisin on the first.

Speaking of Enver Lisin, he is now wearing a protective shield within his skate to protect his broken foot. The left winger will do his best in playing through the injury tomorrow against Atlanta.

Lisin on his broken foot.....

“I can find a way, just skating is a little difficult,” Lisin said. “When I go onto the ice, it’s not 100 percent but, otherwise, I’m going to play.”

Meanwhile, Henrik Lundqvist was back on the ice today, and is likely to start against the Thrashers, but he would not confirm---probably orders from the coach. It is still undisclosed as to what Hank is exactly suffering from, but it is believed to be either his thigh or his groin. Either way, the decision of whether he will start for the first time in the last three games will be made tomorrow after the morning skate.

Lastly, Andrew Gross also reports that Ilya Kovalchuk of the Atlanta Thrashers will not make his return to the lineup tomorrow night, as he has missed the last six games due to a foot problem. Supposedly the all-star winger entered ice for practice but quickly left to the locker-room in clear discomfort and pain.
(Photo courtesy of Getty Images)