He’s the unquestioned leader of this team. Nobody plays harder than Ryan Callahan. The Ranger captain always gives max effort and does whatever is needed to win games. Whether it’s scoring a gritty goal like the one he batted out of mid-air or laying out to block a shot as he did on a John Carlson shot in the waning minutes of their 2-0 shutout of Washington, he only knows one way to play. All out.

That grinding style has its risks. Not the biggest in stature, Callahan squeezes every ounce out of his 5-11, 190 frame. One of the game’s best hitters, there’s no check he won’t finish. If he has to fight to send a message, he’ll do it occasionally. No one exemplifies what it is to be a Ranger more than Captain Cally. That’s why the latest setback is so damaging for a club already without Rick Nash. The 28-year old Rochester native suffered a broken thumb in Wednesday’s win. He’ll miss three to four weeks.

After working so hard to return from offseason shoulder surgery, Callahan is back on the mend. He’s missed significant time before. In 2011, a broken left hand sidelined him 19 games. He returned to help the team make the playoffs. But took a Zdeno Chara shot that cost him the final two of the regular season and all five of the first round. A broken right leg. Even in his first full year, a knee sprain kept him out of 16 games. There have been lesser bumps and bruises along the way.

This is who he is. A heart and soul type who is a lock for Team USA ‘if’ he stays healthy. Cut out of the same mold as American hopefuls David Backes and Dustin Brown, Callahan is the most important skater on the Blueshirts. If Henrik Lundqvist is their most indispensable, then the former ’04 fourth round gem is the glue. He can always be counted on to log big minutes playing every situation. Not only do they lose what he does on the ice, but what he brings in the locker room. We saw frustration from the fearless leader following consecutive embarrassments to San Jose and Anaheim challenging his team to be better. They responded with more inspired play the last two. Now, they’ll have to do it without him.

In his place, Darroll Powe was recalled from Hartford. Rather than summon Chris Kreider, who’s off to a good start with the Wolf Pack, the organization made the right call. They don’t want a repeat of last year. Playing with Kreider’s psyche is counterproductive. He’s better off staying put until he’s ready. It’s not a shortened season. There’s plenty of time for him to develop. The addition of Powe adds a valuable penalty killer. An area Callahan provided. Powe is a strong defensive forward who showed improvement during camp. He gets a chance to provide a spark. With him likely in a fourth line role, it allows J.T. Miller to have an increased role. He shouldn’t be expected to play top line and replace Callahan. Plugging Mats Zuccarello might be a better option that gets him going. The speedy Norwegian has yet to register a point. But is fearless. They need him to produce.

With Carl Hagelin just cleared for contact Thursday, he’s getting closer to returning. The target date is Oct. 29 against the Islanders following the home opener. They can certainly use his combination of speed and grit. The Swedish version of Callahan should help. He won’t freight train opponents but there’s not mistaking what he brings. A similar hard forward that makes the Rangers tougher. He’s a top six forward on the roster.

Instead, they’re stuck waiting for Zuccarello and Benoit Pouliot to find the back of the net. Pouliot’s been particularly frustrating proving why he’s a former top pick that’s bounced around the league. A former ’05 first round pick of the Wild, this is his fifth team (Min, Mtl, Bos, TB, NYR). There are instances where he shows flashes of talent but other moments where you don’t notice him. In six games, he has 11 shots. This is a guy capable of scoring 10-15 goals hitting double digits in three consecutive seasons (’09-10 thru ’11-12). In 34 contests with Tampa last year, he posted eight goals and 12 assists. But played around better talent. There’s still no reason why he shouldn’t be able to contribute. Brad Richards, Derek Stepan and Derick Brassard are the Rangers’ top three centers.

Alain Vigneault must resolve this issue. An improved power play under assistant Scott Arniel is clicking at 20 percent ranking 15th. They’re 4 for 20. Hardly a large sample. However, a more aggressive approach has worked so far with Richards shooting from everywhere. Similar to what he did with Dallas. Vigneault preaches offense. He has to find a way to get the most out of the supporting cast. It isn’t the most skilled. Jesper Fast is still learning and Miller is only 20. He knows what he has in vets Brian Boyle, Dominic Moore and Taylor Pyatt. Derek Dorsett is the team enforcer.

Maybe the defense will have to produce more. He wants them to be more active. The dilemma is early on, they got victimized defensively. Ryan McDonagh, John Moore, Marc Staal and Anton Stralman are all capable of contributing. Moore’s goal the other night was a rocket. Mike Del Zotto is supposed to be the team’s best offensive blueliner. Instead, the fifth year pro remains an enigma posting a minus-six with no points in five games. He missed the Washington game with the flu. Defensively, the team was fine with Justin Falk. At 23, Del Zotto should be improving. Instead, he’s stagnated. This is a big year for him. He’s earning $2.9 million this season. He’s a Group II next summer. Time is running out.

The early injuries provide a challenge. Everyone must step up. No game should be easy. The Rangers visit the Devils tomorrow in Newark. The only remaining winless team would love nothing better than to get their first victory against the bitter Hudson rival. Scoring will probably be at a premium. That means air tight D and splendid goaltending like they got in D.C. We’ll see if they’re up to the task.