Brandon Dubinsky skates, but no timetable

GREENBURGH, N.Y.-- Brandon Dubinsky, who has missed nine games since injuring his right ankle in the Game 7 victory against Ottawa on April 26, practiced on Friday for the first time.

Dubinsky, who assisted on the series-winner against the Senators, was not on ice for the entire session and won't dress for Game 3 against the Devils, but he is progressing.

Coach John Tortorella did not give an update on Dubinsky's availability.

The 26-year-old forward had a sub-par season, with 10 goals and 24 assists in 77 games, but his emotion and physical play would be valuable against the Devils. He had a goal and assist in a 4-2 defeat of New Jersey on March 19.

Big boys banded

To counter some Devils' big bodies, the Rangers' third line Saturday could be a tall, heavy one. Mike Rupp (6-5, 245) and Artem Anisimov (6-4, 200) flanked C Brian Boyle (6-7, 244) in practice.

"Big, small or medium-build, we play hard along the boards," Tortorella said. "Obviously that was void the other night. No matter who it is, when you're at this point in the season, you're playing against teams that we're playing against, Jersey, and the two teams out West, that's a big part of playoff hockey. That's a big part of who we are, and we certainly have to be more consistent with that."

Henrik praises fans

Henrik Lundqvist appreciates the Rangers fans who make the journey to Newark. "It's a nice rink," he said, "but also, especially during the regular season, we have a lot of fans there, so that makes it very special to play every time. We'll see how the building will be [Saturday]. Hopefully we have a lot of fans."