GREENBURGH, N.Y. – There was somewhat-mocking applause from his teammates as Derick Brassard, back after five days of isolation due to the mumps, walked into the Rangers’ dressing room Friday morning.
Illness aside — and the Rangers had no update on right wing Lee Stempniak, isolated from the team on Thursday and tested for the mumps – the team has reason to be in a good mood as it starts a back-to-back, home-and-home series with the struggling Hurricanes tonight at PNC Arena. The Rangers are on a season-high four-game winning streak.
But good humor should not be confused with comfort, not with the team still two points out of a playoff spot at the start of play Friday.
"We realize we had had a good West Coast trip but we’re still on the outside, we have to continue to push ourselves here," said goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who will make his fifth straight start tonight and has allowed just six goals during the winning streak. "Every time you’re on a winning streak, you don’t want to take anything for granted."
The Rangers swept the Western Canada portion of this four-game trip, 5-1 over the Canucks, 2-0 over the Oilers and 5-2 over the Flames.
The last two victories came after Brassard was sent home from Edmonton after waking up with a fever and a small lump on his cheek.
Coach Alain Vigneault said he expects Brassard, his top-line center, to be back in the lineup tonight, though Brassard said he wanted to test his conditioning first this morning.
"The most frustrating part is, right now, we’re trying to reach another level in our games and you can see around the league that the intensity went high," said Brassard, re-inserted between Rick Nash and Mats Zuccarello in practice. Brassard was also on the top power-play unit between Nash and Marty St. Louis with Dan Boyle and Derek Stepan on the points.
"I didn’t have any headaches or anything, I was just stuck in my apartment for five days," added Brassard, who extended his point streak to five games with two assists against the Canucks before falling ill. "I’m probably one off the best Call of Duty players in the world right now. I played a lot of video games, a lot of TV."
J.T. Miller, who centered the top line in Brassard’s absence, took Stempniak’s spot on the third line at Friday’s practice. If that’s where he plays tonight, it will mean Miller has played all three forward positions in the eight games since being recalled from Hartford (AHL).
"It’s important that you find ways not to get hurt when you struggle," Lundqvist said. "I think that’s what we did really well on the road trip. I think that’s a good sign when you’re winning, you find different ways to win hockey games and that’s what we need to do moving forward."
BRIEFS: Backup goalie Cam Talbot, expected to play Sunday against the Hurricanes, agreed to a one-year extension worth $1.45 million for the 2015-16 season. Talbot, 27, could have been an unrestricted free agent and may have drawn interest as a starter elsewhere in the NHL. … Vigneault said of Boyle, who has two goals in 13 games while missing extended time due to a broken hand and illness, "I definitely think he has more to give." Vigneault, though, said he is confident the veteran defenseman will begin contributing consistently. "He’s professional enough that he knows where his game is at and we expect more."
Email: grossa@northjersey.com
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