PHILADELPHIA -- The New York Rangers have announced that defenseman Marc Staal will be making his season debut in this afternoon's Winter Classic game against the Philadelphia Flyers at Citizens Bank Park. Staal has not played a single game this season due to post-concussion symptoms that haunted him all throughout his summer workouts and again during training camp back in September. After being cleared for contact over a week ago, Staal has slowly worked himself back into game-shape during practice and was given the nod for today's contest.
New York has played extremely well without Staal in their lineup, soaring to the top of the Eastern Conference over the last month, but will obviously welcome their top defenseman back with much excitement. And there's no bigger or better stage to do that on than the Winter Classic.
Staal will skate on the third pairing. Tortorella would not disclose who is out of the lineup. McDonagh (flu)?
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