Ryan McDonagh has moved on, as have the rest of the Rangers — or so they say.
Speaking for the first time since Philadelphia’s Wayne Simmonds’ left fist left him with a concussion last Saturday, McDonagh said any lingering emotion from the aftermath of the sucker punch that has kept him out the past three games has been minimized by his desire just to rejoin his team.
“As soon as it happens, you’re feeling different thoughts, but my main focus was just trying to get healthy again and getting back to feeling the way I’m accustomed to,” McDonagh said. “Everybody’s seen it now. It’s only been a week, but it’s a long time in the hockey world, especially with the game coming up. I just want to have the guys make sure they’re focused, and I’m just thankful I’m starting to feel like myself again and my health is coming back.”
Though McDonagh won’t be in action Sunday night against Simmonds and the Flyers at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers’ captain took a positive step in his recovery by participating fully in Saturday’s team practice, while sporting a non-contact jersey.
McDonagh skated Friday morning for the first time — on his own — following the injury and said he no longer feels any symptoms from the concussion, but there still is no target date for his return.
“I’m starting to feel like myself,” McDonagh said. “I have a lot of energy physically. That was something in the beginning, where I was just feeling lethargic, not a lot of energy, but I’m getting back to full strength here, which is exciting.”
With McDonagh unable to dole out any sort of retribution against Simmonds, Tanner Glass said earlier in the week that the Flyers wing would know “that’s not going to be tolerated,” but Saturday, the physical Rangers forward was cryptic about any potential payback.
“I don’t know. We’ll see,” Glass said. “As a group, we didn’t like the hit. It was right in front of our bench. We all saw it, [but] it’s part of the game, as sad as it is to say. We’ll see what happens.
“Ryan’s a huge part of our team and a leader both on and off the ice for us, so anytime a guy like that does get hit you want to make sure you help the guy out.”
Alain Vigneault was furious after the incident that Simmonds didn’t receive a suspension in addition to his ejection from the game, but the coach was far calmer Saturday and believed his team would be Sunday as well, able to prevent whatever remaining anger from leading to a costly mistake in the rivals’ fifth matchup of the season.
The teams split the first four meetings, with three decided in shootouts.
“I think the importance of the game for our group here as far as the two points that are up for grabs has to be our focus,” Vigneault said. “All of our games against the Flyers have been hard-fought, emotional, tight. … It’s gonna be another typical Flyers-Rangers game, a lot of emotion, there’s gonna be some physicality, but you need to make plays, and that has to be our group’s mentality.”