The Rangers got a promising sign on the injury front with Joonas Korpisalo, who appears to be moving closer to a return as New York works through a much-needed break.
That matters for a team that has been slipping lately. The Rangers are in the middle of a three-game losing streak and have dropped five of their last six, a rough stretch that has tested a roster already dealing with injuries. Igor Shesterkin’s absence has been felt, and with Korpisalo also out to begin the season, the goaltending depth has been stretched thin.
Even with the recent struggles, New York is still 7-6-1 and trying to stay in the mix as an Eastern Conference playoff contender.
The latest update on Korpisalo brought a little optimism. He did not stay on the ice for the full session, but Sullivan said that was “by design.” More importantly, Sullivan described it as a step forward.
“It's a big step for Korpi,” Sullivan said. #NYR
That kind of progress is welcome news for a team that has leaned heavily on Dylan Garand. The Rangers return to action Sunday against the Edmonton Oilers, and the extra time off this week means going back to Garand is manageable for now.
New York has had to ask a lot of the 24-year-old since Shesterkin went down, and a breather makes sense. On Monday, James Reimer started in net, but after allowing three goals in the first period, he was replaced by Garand.
For the season, Garand is 4-5-1 with a 2.69 GAA and a .899 save percentage. Those numbers aren’t disastrous, but the workload has been heavier than expected, and the need for relief has been obvious.
That is where Korpisalo comes in. With Garand still developing, getting the veteran back would help settle the rotation and ease the burden. A return next week now looks like a real possibility if Korpisalo keeps trending the right way.
The schedule only gets tougher from here. After the Oilers, the Rangers have Tuesday and Thursday home games before a four-game West Coast and Western Canadian road trip.
With that stretch ahead, having Korpisalo back would be a major boost.
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Rangers Fans Will Notice One Frustrating Thing About Sullivans New Lines
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The defensive side, meanwhile, stayed exactly where it was, with Vlad Gavrikov and Adam Fox together, Marcus Pettersson with Sean Durzi, and Alberts Smits alongside Braden Schneider. Eeli Tolvanen was absent for personal reasons, but the bigger takeaway for Rangers fans is the shuffle among the forwards, especially the move that pushed Gabe Perreault down the lineup and left another familiar piece in place elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]