News & Notes

• After missing 12 games with a broken wrist, alternate captain Brett Carson is back. With fellow defenseman Bryan Rodney recalled to Carolina, the timing could not have come sooner. The Troy Record catches up with the Albany blueliner. 

• Coach Jeff Daniels says the struggles of the Carolina Hurricanes are not affecting the River Rats. If anything, the problems in Raleigh provide extra incentive for those hoping to crack the NHL line-up. The Albany Times Union has more.

• With a busy weekend ahead of them, the Rats are looking to tighten their game and boost their position in the standings. To get things done, they'll need to stay focused and play with consistency. The Schenectady Daily Gazette has the story. 

• Rookie forward Drayson Bowman is out with a chest injury that apparently occurred last Saturday against Adirondack. After being taken down from behind, Bowman slid hard into the boards and looked pretty shaken up. He returned to the ice later that night, but was absent Wednesday in Syracuse and is not expected to play this weekend.