The bad news for the New York Rangers got even worse on Tuesday night. After losing Game Three of their playoff series against the Pittsburgh Penguins to fall behind 3-0, they discovered that Sean Avery would be done for the season with a lacerated spleen. The injury was believed to have been suffered in the first period of the game following a collision with a Pens defenseman. Avery was taken to St. Vincent’s hospital after the game, and was admitted following a CT scan. He is expected to make a full recovery during the off-season.

For the Rangers, coming back from 3-0 down was already quite a difficult proposition. Only two teams have done it in 149 tries in NHL history, the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and the 1975 New York Islanders (against the Penguins), and it’ll be even more difficult without Avery. One of the NHL’s most effective agitators, Avery’s combination of grit and skill makes him the perfect complement to the Blueshirts’ talented forward corps. When Avery was in the lineup this season, the Rangers were 33-14-9; without him, they were 9-13-3. Last spring, the Blueshirts were 25-24-4 when they acquired Avery from the Los Angeles Kings; they finished 17-6-6 after adding him to their roster.

Avery is due to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, and it’s quite possible that last night was the final time the Rangers’ unequivocal fan favorite will suit up for the home team. Contract negotiations with GM Glen Sather haven’t been particularly constructive, last summer resulting in a very contentious arbitration hearing. Unless one or the other stubborn parties makes a significant and surprising compromise, it’s quite probable that Avery will seek employment elsewhere. And if Avery were to sign with the Islanders or the Devils, it would be a huge PR hit for the Rangers to absorb.

Looking ahead to Thursday night’s Game Four, the Rangers have to take things one game at a time. They need to battle their way in front of Pens netminder Marc-Andre Fleury, and they have to devise ways to counter the Penguins’ devastating shot-blocking efforts. On Tuesday night, the Rangers fired a total of 75 shots at Fleury, with only 39 getting through (17 were blocked, and 19 missed their mark). Of those 39 shots that got through, few required Fleury to do very much; simply by being in the right position, he was able to make the saves.

If the Rangers can’t get Fleury moving—and can’t find a way to get more high-quality scoring chances through to the Pens’ goal—this series will probably not go past Thursday night’s Game Four. But if they’re able to get some success and gain some momentum, it just might be enough to put some doubt in the young Penguins’ minds.