Rangers' Drury making progress toward return
Photo credit: Getty Images | File - Chris Drury has been improving in his recovery from a concussion that has kept him out of the Rangers' last three games.
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Chris Drury
GREENBURGH, N.Y. - During a bleak stretch in which the Rangers have dropped four of seven games and scored two goals in regulation in two of the wins, there is a bit of a silver lining.
Captain Chris Drury, who has been sidelined since sustaining a concussion on a blindside hit by Calgary's Curtis Glencross early in the Nov. 7 game, may be closer to returning.
"From talking to [trainer Jim Ramsey], I guess he's had a number of good days,'' coach John Tortorella said. "He's going to see a doctor [Thursday afternoon] and we'll see where the next step is."
Drury, 33, was woozy in the days after the hit, which triggered a three-game suspension for Glencross, and stayed home. He is not on injured reserve and could be cleared to begin light off-ice workouts.
Brandon Dubinsky, who broke his hand blocking a shot in the same game, was placed on IR immediately. He is expected to be out until early December.
Without their top two centers, the Rangers (11-9-1) have moved left wings Vinny Prospal and Chris Higgins to the middle, with mixed success. Prospal and right wing Marian Gaborik are first-line anchors, and now Ales Kotalik will receive an opportunity with that duo against Florida Saturday, supplanting Enver Lisin.
"We're trying to keep the puck more," Tortorella said. "I think [Kotalik] can add that element. We've tried a lot of people there - a lot of the onus belongs on Vinny and Gabby to try to keep more pucks - but we also need someone to help them out."
Lisin, who has a hairline fracture of his left instep, said the injury was affecting his skating, especially when stopping. "Rest would get it healing faster," he said, "but we have a lot of games coming."
"When Lis was playing better," said Tortorella, "he was more involved physically and he won puck battles. Right now, the puck is just flying off his stick."
Notes & quotes: Players received swine flu vaccinations after Tuesday's game. A couple said they weren't feeling 100 percent Thursday . . . Tortorella told rookie D Michael Del Zotto to be more selfish on the power play. "You've got Gabby over here with his stick on the ice and [Kotalik] over here with his stick on the ice, and you've got a 19-year-old guy who respects the hierarchy of the locker room. That's where the coaches tell him, 'Do it.' He needs to be a threat shooting."
