When: Monday, September 26, 7:00 p.m.

Opponent: @Philadelphia Flyers (2-1-1)

TV: MSG

UPDATE: GM Glen Sather said Marc Staal will join the Rangers in Europe on Thursday or Friday. Apparently the team isn't even sure that Staal is suffering from a concussion.  It could be migraines or a slipped disc.  (2:38 p.m.)

UPDATE: Wolski is out tonight with a sore groin, Carl Hagelin will be in the lineup instead.  (2:30 p.m.)

UPDATE: The Flyers will ice a pretty strong lineup for tonight's game, and yes, Jaromir Jagr is scheduled to play.  NHL regulars Claude Giroux, James Van Riemsdyk, Max Talbot, Danny Briere, Jakub Voracek, Wayne Simmonds, Blair Betts, Kimmo Timonen, Andrej Meszaros, Braydon Coburn, Matt Carle and Ilya Bryzgalov will all play as well. (11:57 a.m.)

EARLIER: Tonight the Rangers will visit the Philadelphia Flyers in their final game in North America for nearly three weeks.

The game may be overshadowed by the 1:30 p.m. scheduled announcement of the January 2nd Winter Classic between these two teams, but it will still be a crucial game for some players battling for roster spots.

The Blueshirts are scheduled to leave for Europe immediately following the contest and Coach John Tortorella said that two of the forwards scheduled to play in the game will be cut before the trip.

The most likely candidates appear to be Andre Deveaux and Andreas Thuresson but several other players shouldn’t feel too comfortable either.  Dale Weise, John Mitchell, Ryan Bourque, Sean Avery and Erik Christensen are also in danger of finding themselves left behind.

It’s unclear if the coaching staff has made its decision already or not, but this could be the last chance for these borderline NHL players to prove themselves this fall.  Deveaux, Mitchell and Thuresson are surely AHL bound whether it’s tonight or next week, but the other players are at different points in their careers. 

Weise would be subject to waivers if the Rangers tried to send him to Connecticut and he’d surely be claimed if that were the case, so although Weise has been very strong during the preseason, if he still hasn’t done enough to impress the coaches then this could possibly be his last game with the organization. 

Avery and Christensen will probably survive this round of cuts, but both are fighting for one last chance in the NHL before being passed by.  Christensen doesn’t appear to be in the Rangers’ plans, but Avery may still have some value to the team.  And finally, Bourque has wowed everyone this spring and although he may still need some AHL seasoning, he’s doing everything in his power to force the Rangers to keep him around.

Most of the attention will be focused on the forward competition, but the battle for the final blueline spot also continues to rage.  Tim Erixon and Michael Del Zotto will both be in the lineup as each continues trying to prove that he is mature and ready for a full-time job in the NHL.

The Rangers will ice a much weaker lineup than the one that beat the Devils on Friday night, but this game will have huge implications for certain players desperately competing for the few remaining NHL jobs.

Tonight’s projected depth chart:

Brandon Dubinsky/Artem Anisimov/Mats Zuccarello

Wojtek Wolski/Brian Boyle/Dale Weise

Sean Avery/Erik Christensen/Ryan Bourque

Andre Deveaux/John Mitchell/Andreas Thuresson

Ryan McDonagh/Mike Sauer

Dan Girardi/Michael Del Zotto

Tim Erixon/Stu Bickel

Henrik Lundqvist/Martin Biron

- Keep an eye on Wolski in particular as it will be interesting to see how he performs without star linemates Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik. 

- Defenseman Marc Staal won’t be joining the team on tonight’s flight; he’s going to be revaluated in “four or five days” and may fly over then if he’s feeling better.

- Defenseman Pavel Valentenko, cut yesterday, was rumored to be heading back to Russia if he didn’t make the Rangers.  However, in an interview with Bruce Berlet, Valentenko said he’ll stay with the CT Whale and said “I’ll never quit.”  Valentenko also said he hurt his groin during Friday’s game but didn’t tell the coaches because he didn’t want to come out of the game.

- Brandon Prust will participate in European preseason games.

For more from training camp:

Training Camp Roster And 6 Battles To Watch >

Training Camp Opens With "The Test" >

Staal Injury Overshadows Encouraging First Scrimmage >

Scrimmage Lines Provide Strong Clues To John Tortorella's Thinking >

Staal's Condition Growing Worrisome: Is A Veteran Defenseman Acquisition Coming? >

Rangers Contact Paul Mara's Agent As Concern Over Staal Grows >

Preseason Game #1 Preview: This Team Isn't Messing Around >

September 21 Training Camp Quick Hits >

Rangers Fall 2-1 In Underwhelming Preseason Opener > (9/21/11)

Dale Weise May Be Ready, But Is There Room For Him? >

Practice Lines May Reveal Where Everyone Currently Stands > (9/22/11)

Preseason Game #2 Preview: Debut Of The Big Guns > (9/23/11)

Rangers Outlast Devils 4-3 As Offense Gets Warmed Up > (9/24/11)

Rangers Announce First Round Of Cuts > (9/24/11)

Don't Fret If Youngsters Don't Make The Team > (9/25/11)  

Preseason Game #3 Preview: Leaving On A Jet Plane > (9/26/11)

Click here for our full Summer 2011 Archive >

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