IS THIS ELEVATOR GOING UP OR DOWN? 

As we reported on www.Twitter.com/howlingstoday earlier tonight, Michael Del Zotto and Evgeny Grachev have been summoned by the New York Rangers to report Sunday morning to Washington, DC to join the team for their game with the Capitals after Dan Girardi went down with a rib muscle pull and Brandon Prust went down with a foot injury.

If ever a team was snake bitten it’s this edition of the New York Rangers.

Also on the agenda, Dale Weise was sent back to the Connecticut Whale and will be with the team for their game Tuesday night against the Providence Bruins.

Here’s the official release:

NEW YORK RANGERS TRANSACTION UPDATE
New York, January 22, 2011 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that defenseman Michael Del Zotto and forward Evgeny Grachev have been recalled from the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League (AHL), while forward Dale Weise has been assigned to Connecticut.

Del Zotto, 20, tallied one assist in a 5-1 win at Springfield earlier tonight, extending his assist streak to four games (five assists).  He has registered seven assists in eight games with Connecticut this season, following his assignment on January 3.  Del Zotto is tied for second among Whale defensemen in assists and third in points.  He tallied two assists vs. Hamilton yesterday, and recorded one assist and a plus-four rating vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on January 16.  Del Zotto has also registered two goals and seven assists, along with 14 penalty minutes in 35 games with the Rangers this season.  Five of his nine points were recorded on the power play, and he was tied for fifth on the team with two power play goals and three power play assists at the time of his assignment.  He also ranked third on the team with 58 blocked shots.  Del Zotto made his 100th career NHL appearance at Colorado on November 19.

The Stouffville, Ontario native was originally the Rangers’ first round selection, 20th overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Grachev, 20, registered his first professional hat trick in a 5-1 win at Springfield earlier tonight, extending his goal-scoring streak to three games (six goals) and point streak to four games (six goals, one assist).  He has registered 12 goals and six assists for 18 points, along with 12 penalty minutes and a plus-seven rating in 40 games with Connecticut this season.  Grachev ranks fourth on the team in goals, while his plus-seven rating ranks second on the Whale.  He is also tied for fifth on the team with three power play goals.  Grachev has skated in six games with the Rangers this season, making his NHL debut vs. Carolina on October 29.

The Khabarovsk, Russia native was originally the Rangers’ third round selection, 75th overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Weise, 22, has registered 19 penalty minutes in 10 games over two stints with the Rangers this season.  He made his NHL debut on December 18 at Philadelphia.  Weise returns to Connecticut, where he has registered seven goals and five assists for 12 points, along with 29 penalty minutes in 16 games.  He ranked fourth on the Whale in goals and was tied for third on the team with four power play goals at the time of his recall on December 29, despite missing 18 games due to injury this season.

The Winnipeg, Manitoba native was originally the Rangers’ fourth round selection, 111th overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.