After Henrik Lundqvist finished his first practice since injuring his hip on March 7, the goalie said he felt “great,” but also cautioned that there was still more work to be done before he’s ready to get back into action.
“You need to be on top of your game,” Lundqvist said Monday. “It’s more about that right now. You don’t want to push too hard and risk anything. I’m increasing my time on the ice every day and we’ll shoot for Saturday.”
That would be against the Kings in Los Angeles, the first game of the Rangers’ three-game California trip — and after their next two games, Tuesday in Newark versus the Devils and Wednesday at Madison Square Garden, where they’ll face the Islanders.
The initial time frame for Lundqvist’s return was two to three weeks and the goalie should certainly play during their three-game stint out West.
“I think the logical thing to say is we’re on the same protocol that we were before,” coach Alain Vigneault said. “I would expect him at some point when we go on this trip.”
The cautious approach is fine with Lundqvist, who insists he will have enough time before the end of the regular season to get back into form for the playoffs if he misses another two matches.
More importantly, Lundqvist reported no physical issues after the practice. He stayed behind last week with goalie coach Benoit Allaire, adding to his workload each day, but Monday was another significant step.
“I felt pretty good,” Lundqvist said. “I think the toughest part for me is just being patient and to not try [to] do too much. The past couple days I’ve felt really good on the ice. Now it’s about getting my speed back, the timing back. I can feel I’ve been away from the game a little bit.”
Vigneault said the goalie “looked all right” on Monday and since the Rangers don’t have much time to get work in before Saturday’s game in Los Angeles, the coach doesn’t want to force anything.
“I talked to him briefly before practice and he said he was feeling much better,” the coach said. “We’ll skate again [Tuesday] and go from there.”
Slow and steady is understandable for the Rangers under any circumstances with Lundqvist, but Vigneault has seen two of his defensemen struggle to come back from their injuries in the last few weeks, which has made him even less willing to throw caution to the wind.
But there was positive news on that front, as well, as both Dan Girardi (ankle) and Kevin Klein (back) took steps toward their return.
Vigneault said they have both been cleared medically, but since they have each been hampered by injuries since February, they need to get back to game speed, as well.
Klein said he felt better than expected on the ice and would like to return “in the next couple games.”
For fellow defenseman Marc Staal, it’s all welcome news as the Rangers head into the final stretch with 10 games remaining before the playoffs.
“It’s good to get some bodies back,” Staal said. “Especially with [Lundqvist], you want him in there and comfortable for when we need him. So it was good to see him out there. We’ve done pretty well since he’s been out, but it definitely gives you confidence when he’s behind you.”