NHL All-Star Break Can't Come Soon Enough for New York Rangers

I'm never a person who looks forward to the All-Star game. A week's time with no hockey is never a good thing. This season, though, is different. The New York Rangers are desperate for a break, and it can't come soon enough.

Since the lockout of 2004-05, the Rangers have been able to stay significantly healthy for the most part, aside from some injuries keeping guys out of the lineup for a month's time or so (Brandon Dubinsky 2009). This season, though, the Rangers have been decimated by long-term injuries to keep members of this team.

Right out of the gate the Blueshirts saw injuries to Vinny Prospal and captain Chris Drury. Prospal still hasn't seen any ice this season. At the home opener they lost star Marian Gaborik for four weeks, along with Drury re-injuring a broken finger.

Two months later, Ryan Callahan broke a hand while blocking a shot in Pittsburgh. He's missed nearly seven weeks. Erik Christensen, Brandon Dubinsky and Ruslan Fedetenko have all joined him on the IR list. Let's not forget Alex Frolov, done for the season with knee surgery. Oh, and Derek Boogaard, but that's fine with me.

The fact that the Rangers are just 10 points out of first in the Eastern Conference is a testament to the heart and dedication of those who have been able to stay healthy, and the call-ups from the Whale (AHL).

Reports are that Callahan will return Tuesday night against the Penguins following the All-Star break. One to three weeks later, they should have Dubinsky, Christensen and Prospal back in the lineup as well. 

The point to all this? This team can be dangerous. They don't have the star power of others in their conference (Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Washington come to mind, along with Tampa Bay), but they know what it takes to win defensive, grind-out games. That experience will pay dividends come playoff time.

The biggest piece of the puzzle missing is Callahan. The absence of his intense nature was evident right after he went down. The team feeds off his energy, and having him back for the stretch run is priceless for a team like the Rangers.

I'm not calling Cup or anything, but the Rangers will not be a group may team will want to play come April and (hopefully) May and June.