NEW YORK -- New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal hasn't played since taking a puck in the eye during a game against the Philadelphia Flyers on March 8, but he got to see some family the past two days.
With the Carolina Hurricanes in town to play the Rangers on Monday night, Jordan Staal and Eric Staal paid a visit to Marc's home Sunday night to see how their brother was doing. Both Eric and Jordan reported that Marc's spirits are much higher now than 10 days ago and they believe Marc can still return this season.
"I think he's been in better spirits as of late because he's starting to feel a little bit more progress," Eric said. "I think he was in a lot of pain earlier on and rightfully so. It was good to see him. He was in good spirits. We had some good laughs and enjoyed being around each other last night."
Along with his brothers, Marc's parents came to New York as well, a planned trip with the entire clan scheduled to play at Madison Square Garden.
Eric said while Marc is progressing, he doesn't have complete vision back in the eye. Marc was left with a scar above his right eye and didn't lose any teeth in the process, a positive according to Eric because, "my parents paid a lot for braces."
While Jordan and Eric said they aren't planning to start wearing visors this season, Jordan said Marc is planning on making the switch when he returns.
"We asked him -- I think he's going to wear one," Jordan said. "I think he's learned his lesson and he's going to throw one on."
Marc remains out indefinitely and will miss his fifth straight game Monday. Including the loss to the Senators, the Rangers have lost four of five games since Staal left that game with an injury.
---
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. © Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.