They have combined to play a total of 9:11 this season, but veterans Chris Drury and Vinny Prospal are working their way back to health and, wait for it, the Rangers’ lineup.
Drury, who played 9:11 in the Oct. 15 home opener before rebreaking the left index finger that had first been fractured early in training camp, is much further ahead in the process than Prospal, who has yet to play following training camp knee issues and ensuing surgery.
“Chris can pass but he can’t shoot,” coach John Tortorella said of the captain, who has been skating for a few weeks but only recently received permission to grip a stick. “He’s getting better . . . if he doesn’t shoot himself [out of frustration].
“Vinny, he’s been skating a bit, no equipment, just sweats, but the process is moving forward. I spoke to [trainer Jim Ramsay] after practice a couple of days ago and Rammer is really encouraged.
“Those two players have punched the clock every day, putting in their four or five hours. It’s encouraging. They’re both on the right road.”
If all goes well, Drury could return in a week to 10 days. There is no ETA on Prospal, who underwent surgery on Oct. 18 on the same knee he had scoped late last December.
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Derek Stepan
played the right point on the power play for the second straight game, picking up a nifty assist by opening the top to feed Marc Staal
for a 50-foot drive that rocketed over Dwayne Roloson
‘s left shoulder in last night’s 2-0 win over the Islanders at the Garden. Stepan seems to be inheriting some of the power play responsibility that has belonged to Michael Del Zotto
, though the 20-year-old sophomore defenseman got 5:03 of man-up time to Stepan’s 4:48.
“Michael has been at the controls for a while and has been fighting it a little,” Tortorella said. “We haven’t been consistent, [so] we’re using different people.
“Step made the play [on the goal]. He showed patience, brought everybody over to him, and made the play. But Michael will rebound and get his opportunities.”
The Blueshirts, who were 1-for-5 with the man advantage and killed both Islanders power plays. The Blueshirts have killed 12 straight over their past five games and have gone 36-for-39 in their last 13, surrendering all three goals-against in the Thanksgiving eve match in Tampa Bay. The Islanders, meanwhile, have failed on their last 32 power plays.
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Sean Avery
left the Garden leading the league in penalty minutes with 103, one more than the Islanders’ Zenon Konopka
, after picking up 14 minutes last night. Tortorella gave Avery a ringing endorsement following the match.
The Islanders’ 17 shots marked fewest the Rangers have allowed this season. The Blueshirts are 7-0 on second nights on back-to-backs, 16-2-2 back to last season. The Senators are at the Garden tomorrow for a 5 p.m. match.