BOSTON — So when Vinny Prospal tested his recently ‘scoped right knee by skating on his own for 45 minutes yesterday morning, the Blueshirts’ alternate captain reported that he’d been able to “do everything.”
A wiseacre wanted to know whether that included scoring.
“Well yes,” he said between periods of the Rangers’ 3-1 victory over the Bruins. “There was no goalie.”
Prospal, who has missed seven games with the right knee injury he sustained Dec. 26, was optimistic about being able to make a quick return to the lineup.
“This was a harder session than my first one the other day in Atlanta,” said Prospal, who first got on the ice for a solo spin Thursday morning. “I was scheduled to practice with the team [Friday], but that was canceled, so I’ll practice next time.”
The Rangers, who are off today, will next practice tomorrow. If Prospal does not suffer a setback, it’s possible he could rejoin the lineup for Tuesday night’s showdown at the Garden against the Devils, though Thursday at home against Ottawa might be a more realistic target.
*
Benching the NHL’s leading goal-scorer is not worthy of an explanation, according to head coach John Tortorella, who sat Marian Gaborik for nearly 10 minutes of Thursday’s second period in Atlanta, including an entire power play
“That’s between Gabby and I,” Tortorella said before yesterday’s match. “It’s really none of your business.”
*
Tortorella said Marco Sturm should have been called for a “dive” on the play for which he was awarded a first-period penalty shot when taken down while killing a penalty by Ales Kotalik.
“That was a dive,” said Tortorella. “Maybe it was a penalty [on Kotalik], but that was a dive.”
Actually, Michael Del Zotto probably would have been able to catch and legally defend Sturm on the breakaway that resulted from Kotalik’s turnover at the point, but the defenseman was picked off by one of the referees.
“Yeah, I think I would have gotten there,” Del Zotto said.
*
The Blueshirts killed both Boston power plays, extending the PK streak to 17 straight over the last five games. . . . Lundqvist, who lost his bid for a shutout on Dennis Wideman’s screamer with 3:44 to go in regulation, reduced his career GAA against the Bruins to 1.36 in 18 starts in which the Rangers are 13-3-2.
Lundqvist, who was barely tested after the first period in which he stopped the penalty shot and then made a neat right pad save on Blake Wheeler’s deflection with 1:02 to go, has surrendered two goals or fewer in 14 of his last 17 starts.