PHILADELPHIA -- Derek Dorsett and Marc Staal were on the ice for the New York Rangers during the team's optional morning skate Tuesday, but neither is close to returning to the lineup.
It was the first time Staal has taken the ice with teammates during the pregame skate, but coach John Tortorella said there was nothing new to report in regard to Staal's condition. The defenseman hasn't played since being hit near the right eye by a deflected puck during a game against the Philadelphia Flyers on March 5.
For Dorsett, who has not played since breaking his collarbone during a game March 7 when he was with the Columbus Blue Jackets, it was a major step in his recovery. Dorsett said he skated on his own Monday, the first time he's been on the ice since getting hurt. Tuesday, though, marked the closest he's been to a practice with the Rangers since he was acquired by the team at the NHL Trade Deadline as part of the Marian Gaborik deal.
"It's hard to get traded to a team and not come in and show them what you can bring to the team and show them you can compete and be a team guy, especially the way I play," Dorsett said. "My style is team mentality first. It's been hard to sit around and watch. I find when you jump in to a team, sometimes you can make an impact or get a little more comfortable if you're in the battles with them."
He said he hopes to be able to join those battles soon, but is patient enough to know he has to wait until he's fully healthy. So though he'd love to get into one of the Rangers' final six regular-season games, he understands he has to wait.
"Just keep going on the doctor visits that are scheduled," he said. "Just make sure that bone's still healing properly. The biggest thing is making sure I get it to 100 percent so I can stay healthy and stay in the lineup as long as I can."
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