Pat Verbeek suffered a third-degree separated right shoulder that will keep him sidelined four to six weeks.The incident occurred late in the third period of Friday night's 3-3 tie with the Buffalo Sabres. Verbeek, who earlier in the game scored his 38th goal of the season, was checked into the goalpost by Sabres' defenseman Mark Astley. A preliminary diagnosis revealed a third-degree separation of the right shoulder but Verbeek was to have further examination Saturday.
Verbeek, 31, is enjoying a career year with 38 goals and 40 assists in 62 games -- putting him second on the team with 78 points. Verbeek, in his 15th NHL season and second with the Rangers, has 410 goals and 817 points in 977 games.
"You hope that the guys in the locker room can pick up the slack in the meantime," said Rangers president and general manager Neil Smith. "That's the silver lining in this. I hope the guys in the dressing room see it as that. It gives guys a chance to play on a line that they wouldn't ordinarily play on."
Smith said someone would be called up from Binghamton of the American Hockey League Saturday to take Verbeek's place on the roster.
Verbeek joins a growing list of injured Rangers. Captain Mark Messier, who leads the team with 86 points, has missed the last two games with a bruised right shoulder while defenseman Kevin Lowe will miss the next four weeks with a groin injury. Goaltender Mike Richter, also nursing a groin injury, will miss at least two more weeks.
New York is 0-3-1 in its last four home games and 1-4-1 in its last six contests overall but still leads the Eastern Conference with 82 points.
