Rupp, Staal making progress

ST. LOUIS -- Condition Yellow, in this case, is good news for injured Rangers Marc Staal and Mike Rupp. Both wore that (non-contact) jersey color during extended work in Thursday's morning skate before the team's evening game against the Blues.

Staal, still recovering from a concussion, doesn't appear nearly as close to action as Rupp, who hopes to be back within days after late October knee surgery. But both declared significant progress for themselves.

Thursday was "as hard as I've skated in a really long time," said Staal, the All-Star defenseman who has missed all 29 Rangers games this season. "The last week has gone really well with the workouts I've had."

Staal has found "the unknown" to be the most difficult part of his recovery, "just because you're constantly kind of waiting for things to happen," he said, "and when it doesn't, it's kind of frustrating. But now, taking strides the last couple of weeks and feeling pretty good, hopefully it keeps going that way.

"I've been in the weight room quite a bit already. Nothing too crazy, but just getting the muscle back, the strength back . . . and if things keep going well with the head, then you take the next step."

While Staal wouldn't guess at a possible return date, Rupp, the ninth-year former Devils forward signed as a free agent in July, said, "I don't see why wouldn't be a possibility. Obviously, lots of things can happen between now and then, but at least there's a light now. It's looking like either Saturday or Tuesday [at New Jersey].

"We've had two consecutive days of going pretty hard and it's responded well," Rupp said. "As long as it keeps doing that, it should be good to go here soon."

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