The Rangers had lost the game, had been beaten for the first time in four games this season by the Devils, but when it ended 3-2 at the Garden, Vinny Prospal could not suppress a smile. And no one could blame him.
For it wasn’t so much that Prospal scored in his first game after missing the first 53 of the season following right knee surgery the first week of October, it was that the 35-year-old winger made his way back after months of grueling rehab.
“It felt great,” said Prospal, whose attempted cross-ice feed for Marian Gaborik from the low right wing was deflected in off the stick of Devils defenseman Henrik Tallinder at 2:21 of the third.
“It’s been a long time,” he said. “I just feel very fortunate to be able to come back and play again.”
Prospal, who got 16:33 of ice, played left wing on a line with Derek Stepan and Gaborik while also playing the middle on various permutations of the first power-play unit. He led the team with five shots on net.
“I just followed the system we played,” Prospal said. “The puck came to my stick and I was very happy I was able to handle it. Even though we lost, speaking for myself personally, I feel very happy.”
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Brandon Dubinsky
‘s deflection of Dan Girardi
‘s fling from the right boards with less than one second to go in the third period hit the post.
Dubinsky’s shot from in front at a wide-open net with Martin Brodeur
pulled way over to one side with 20 seconds to go in the first period hit the crossbar.
“You always think to yourself that if you’d done something different, you could have won the game,” Dubinsky said. “Definitely that shot in the first period, even though the puck was kind of in my skates and it was a little bit awkward, if I’d scored that would have changed things.
“It’s important for me personally to find the way to finish,” he said. “I’m not lacking for opportunities but I have to bury them.”
That goes for the team as well, he said.
“The chances against Pittsburgh were 18-6 for us,” he said, referring to Tuesday’s 4-3 shootout loss. “But there comes a time when chances aren’t enough. You have to bury them.”
It was Dubinsky’s second game back in the lineup after missing five with a stress fracture.
“There’s definitely an adjustment period as far as my speed and energy, but they’ll come in the next few games,” Dubinsky said. “When I get some practice time, it’ll come back to me.”
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Ryan Callahan
scored his second goal in two games after returning from the broken hand that sidelined him for 19 games.
“Nothing ever surprises me with Cally,” John Tortorella
said. “He is what we all want to be as a Ranger, as far as preparation, attitude and everything he does.”