The New York Rangers sent Mats Zuccarello down to the Connecticut Whale this week so that he could get valuable playing time in a large role during the playoffs. According to reports this morning that plan has been foiled by a fractured hand Zuccarello suffered in the Whale's 5-4 loss to Portland last night. This development is not unlike when the Rangers sent Michael Del Zotto
down to the Whale following the trade deadline and watched him break a
finger. The injury is likely to keep Zuccarello out of both the rest of the Whale season and the World Championships. Zuccarello showed flashes of promise in his first season in North America and will look to improve on that next season. Consistency and not skill was the issue for Zuccarello who had some excellent games and then many where he was a limited factor. Finishing around the net is something that he, like many Rangers players, could use work on for next season. His familiarity with the North American style of play is something that will help him immensely preparing for next season as compared to this year.
In the meantime the Whale will look to rebound in the series against Portland, which they currently trail 3-2.
