New York
Rangers

News: Dubinsky, who played in the last two games against the Devils in the Rangers' semifinal loss, said his ankle sprain isn't fully healed yet, Dan Rosen of NHL.com reports.
Impact: Dubinsky said the ankle sprain could take another six to eight weeks to heal, but he should be good to roll one next season starts up. He averaged about 16 minutes in the last two games against the Devils, recording one assist in Game 6.

News: Avery announced his retirement Monday during an interview on Toronto's Sportsnet 590 The FAN.
Impact: He said he was going to formalize his March announcement at season's end so this looks like the time has come. The enigmatic winger played 580 NHL games, scoring 90 goals and 157 assists, and racking up 1,533 PIMs.

News: Bickel will likely be replaced in the lineup by Steve Eminger for Friday's Game 6 showdown in New Jersey, according to Andrew Gross of The Record.
Impact: Defenseman Steve Eminger left the practice ice early Friday, while Bickel stayed on the ice for extra skating. Nothing is set in stone, as head coach John Tortorella typically plays his lineup decisions close to the vest, but the fact that Eminger left the ice first would suggest he'll get the nod Friday night.

News: Eminger is expected to play in Friday's Game 6 against the Devils, Steve Zipay of the New York Newsday reports.
Impact: Nothing has been made official, but Eminger reportedly left Friday morning's skate much earlier than Stu Bickel. It looks like this change may be the only one to the Rangers' lines Friday.

News: Zuccarello (wrist) will be available, if needed, for Friday's Game 6 action against the Devils and was even ready for Game 5, as well, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reports.
Impact: Zuccarrello hasn't played since breaking his wrist March 23, so it would be a surprise to see the Rangers turn to the diminutive forward as they attempt to stave off elimination in Game 6 Friday. Nevertheless, Zuccarrello's recovery is good news for the Blueshirts' depth if they can salvage the series and move on to the Stanley Cup Finals.

News: Dubinsky (leg) "felt good" in his return to the lineup during Wednesday's 3-2 Game 5 loss to New Jersey, Denis Gorman of FOX Sports reports.
Impact: Dubinsky skated 15:38 and tallied an assist in his first action since Game 7 against Ottawa in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Dubinsky provided a spark to the Rangers' second line, alongside Artem Anisimov and Ryan Callahan, and the fact that he's feeling healthy is good news for the Blueshirts as they attempt to extend the series with a Game 6 win in New Jersey on Friday.

News: Lundqvist allowed four goals on only 16 shots Wednesday night as the Rangers fell to the Devils, 5-3, in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Impact: He's given up seven goals over his last two games after surrendering only eight in the six games previous. Lundqvist will need to pick up the pace in Game 6 if he hopes to extend New York's playoff run.

News: Gaborik tied the game at three goals apiece only 17 seconds into the third period Wednesday night, but the Devils scored the next two goals to take a 5-3 win in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Impact: It was Gaborik's first point of the Eastern Conference Finals as he entered Wednesday's game pointless in four straight games. He'll need to be much better in Game 6 if the Rangers hope to extend the series to seven games.

News: Dubinsky is back in the New York Rangers' lineup after missing 11 playoff games because of an injury to his right foot.
Impact: The center returned Wednesday night for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals against the New Jersey Devils. Dubinsky had been sidelined since he was injured in the Rangers' victory over Ottawa in Game 7 of the first round. He sat out all seven games of the second round against Washington and the first four against New Jersey.

News: Zuccarello (wrist) participated in the Rangers' morning skate Tuesday, the team's official Twitter reports.
Impact: Zuccarello, who underwent surgery in late March, has yet to make it onto the ice in the playoffs for the Rangers. There was no comment on whether he will be able to able to go for Wednesday's crucial Game 5, but the fact that he is practicing is a good sign for New York.

News: Dubinsky (leg) participated fully in New York's morning skate Tuesday, the team's official Twitter account reports.
Impact: Dubinsky was not available for the Rangers' Game 4 loss to the Devils on Monday, but was back on the ice for practice Tuesday afternoon. He hasn't suited up for a game since April 26, so he may be trying to shake off the rust as the Rangers look ahead to Wednesday's crucial Game 5.

News: Del Zotto struggled in the opening period of Game 4 against the Devils on Monday, then only played 4:11 in the second and third period, Arthur Staple of Newsday reports.
Impact: Del Zotto entered Game 4 ranked second in points among NHL defensemen in these playoffs. After missing hits and shots and making bad passes early on, Del Zotto sat the majority of the rest of the game. This drop in production may be due to news of the young defenseman's grandmother passing away after Game 3 on Saturday. All things considered, he did manage to still contribute an assist late in the third.

News: Dubinsky (ankle) will not be available for Game 4 against the Devils on Monday, the New York Times reports.
Impact: Dubinsky, who last suited up on April 26, is coming off a down season (10 goals and 34 points in 77 games), but he'll be a welcome addition to the Rangers' depth up front when he is ready to return.

News: Dubinsky (leg) was wearing a blue jersey during the Rangers' morning skate on Monday, indicating he may be active for Game 4 against the Devils, Andrew Gross of the Bergen County Record reports.
Impact: Coach John Tortorella said that all lineup changes would be game-time decisions, but Dubinsky is certainly in the mix to be considered as a replacement for suspended winger Brandon Prust. Stu Bickel was also wearing a blue jersey on Monday, though Dubinsky would provide more of an offensive threat if fully healthy.

News: Prust has been suspended for one game by the NHL for his elbow to the head of New Jersey Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov during New York's win in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Impact: Prust had a telephone hearing, his first in five NHL seasons, with NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan on Sunday to discuss the elbow he landed to the back of Volchenkov's helmet early in the second period of the Rangers' 3-0 win on Saturday. New York leads 2-1 in the series that continues with Game 4 in New Jersey on Monday night. Prust will miss that game and could be replaced by forward Brandon Dubinsky, who has been out since Game 7 of the first round (right foot).

News: Prust has been suspended for one game by the NHL for his elbow to the head of Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov during New York's win in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Associated Press reports.
Impact: Prust isn't a huge scorer, but he does a lot of grunt work on the bottom two lines and lineup consistency has helped the Rangers get pretty far this season. Perhaps Monday would be the perfect time for Brandon Dubinsky to return from a foot injury.

News: Dubinksy (leg) practiced in a normal jersey on Sunday, after wearing a non-contact jersey in Friday's practice, Katie Strang of ESPN.com reports.
Impact: It's another step in the right direction for Dubinsky, who suffered the foot injury on April 26. Though there is still no timetable for his return, a potential return this season seems promising.

News: Girardi's power-play tally in the third period propelled the Rangers over the Devils in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final on Saturday afternoon.
Impact: Perhaps there's a trend here; the Rangers have won twice in this series, and Girardi has banged home the game-winner both times. His three postseason game-winners this year are one more than he accumulated during the entire regular season, so don't expect lots more.

News: Lundqvist posted another perfect scoresheet Saturday afternoon as the Rangers seized home-ice advantage right back from the Devils with a 3-0 win. It's the sixth postseason shutout of his career, and gives the Rangers a 2-1 series lead heading into Monday's Game 4.
Impact: This game was all about New York's suffocating defense. Lundqvist stopped 36 shots, and his teammates blocked 19 more. Whatever you do, don't bench him; a hot goalie is the surest path to hockey playoff success.

News: Prust could be looking at a suspension after elbowing New Jersey's Anton Volchenkov in the head during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Sports Business Journal's Chris Botta reports.
Impact: The hit didn't look that bad, but when you watch in slow motion Prust clearly extends his elbow in the direction of Volchenkov's head. It certainly looked like there was intent, so Prust could be facing a brief suspension.

News: Callahan's hustle after a loose puck gave New York an insurmountable 3-0 lead late in the third frame of the Rangers' Game 3 win at New Jersey on Saturday afternoon.
Impact: With New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur on the bench for a sixth attacker, Callahan tracked down an off-target pot shot by Bryan Boyle and tapped it home from short range before the Devils could regroup. He added an assist in the contest to bring his postseason mark to 4-4-8 in 17 games.

News: Eminger (ankle) will play against New Jersey on Saturday, NHL.com's Dan Rosen reports.
Impact: It's Eminger's first game since April 28. His return can't hurt the Rangers, but his five points on the year indicate that he likely won't make a big impact.

News: Dubinsky (lower body) was spotted skating in a non-contact jersey Friday, Steve Zipay of Newsday reports.
Impact: That's a step in the right direction, though we'll presume that Dubinsky's return to action is still not imminent, given the non-contact jersey.

News: Staal netted his third goal of the playoffs Wednesday night in a 3-2 loss to the Devils.
Impact: He's been one of New York's best defenders in these playoffs and Wednesday's game was a microcosm of his play. Staal led all Rangers in icetime, playing over 27 minutes and finishing with a plus-1 rating, three shots on net, and two blocked shots.

News: Del Zotto posted an assist in Monday's 3-0 victory over New Jersey in the Eastern Conference Finals, putting eight shots on goal for the evening.
Impact: Del Zotto, leading all NHL defensemen in playoff scoring, created numerous scoring chances in the victory, drawing a secondary assist on the game's opening and game-winning goal. The youngster is playing with confidence and has nine points in the playoffs.

News: Lundqvist stopped all 21 shots he faced in Monday's 3-0 victory over the Devils in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Impact: The shots that actually got through to Lundqvist were handled calmly, but his close-range save on Ilya Kovalchuk in the third period where he pinned the puck between his arm and body was huge. Lundqvist certainly is benefiting from the Rangers' shot-blocking tactics, but he is also empowering the Rangers with a scary amount of confidence with his stellar play.

News: Anisimov grabbed an empty-net goal and added an assist in the Rangers' 3-0 victory over the Devils in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Monday.
Impact: Anisimov had gone pointless the final three games of the Rangers' second-round win over Washington, but iced the victory with the empty-net goal Monday. His primary assist on Chris Kreider's second goal showed the type of vision the tall Russian has for making plays as he fired off a perfect pass to spring his teammate.

News: Girardi registered a goal and an assist in the Rangers' 3-0 victory over New Jersey in Monday's Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Impact: Girardi potted what became the game-winning goal early in the third period on a blast from the blue line and then sprung Artem Anisimov on a slick outlet pass to create Chris Kreider's second goal. Girardi was busy defensively as well, as he and his teammates clogged the middle of the ice around Henrik Lundqvist and denied the Devils' duo of Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk.