Artemi Panarin and Andrew Copp rejoined the Rangers for practice Sunday after both forwards sustained injuries in the third-to-last game of the regular season against the Hurricanes.
Head coach Gerard Gallant had maintained all along that the two would be ready in time for Game 1 of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, which the Rangers begin Tuesday against the Penguins at the Garden. The decision to sideline them over the last two games of the regular season was largely precautionary.
“I feel the best I have all year, I’m ready to go,” said Panarin, who looked particularly loose at practice at MSG Training Center. “Emotions are pretty high. I’m just excited, and then of course, if in your head everything is right, your body feels better.”
There was never any legitimate concern from Gallant about either player’s injury, and both forwards skated Saturday for the first time since getting hurt. But after Copp missed the game in Boston due to a lower-body injury and then exited the following contest against the Hurricanes, it wasn’t an encouraging sign.
Copp confirmed it was the same injury that was bothering him. He noted that he felt some discomfort in the Carolina game and thought he wasn’t helping the Rangers by being out there.
“I think it was pretty much like if you felt anything that we weren’t going to continue on,” the trade-deadline acquisition said. “So it was not a severe injury by any means, but definitely felt like it was time to take a little time to make sure that everything was good to go for Game 1.”
Panarin and Copp were back on the second line together for Sunday’s practice, with Ryan Strome in the middle.
“Good amount of treatment, I’d say,” Copp said of his last week. “Sucks watching, always does. If there’s ever a time to watch, probably during those circumstances. Been starting to itch to get back on the ice and getting back in the competition and get going. Especially this time of year, so exciting. Just kind of chomping at the bit a little bit.”
Ryan Lindgren, who seemed banged up at the end of the regular-season finale on Friday, did not practice Sunday for what the team said was maintenance purposes. The Rangers have two days of practice, so it makes sense that they’d give Lindgren a day off for one of them.
Gallant said he fully expects Lindgren to be back on the ice for practice on Monday.