Familiar Faces Return to Garden as Rangers Battle Lightning

It's just another game, but there will certainly be emotions for several Rangers when they face Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi and J.T. Miller tonight for the first time at Madison Square Garden.
"[McDonagh is] a former captain of this team. The success that we had as a group with him and the players that are there, obviously Dan and to some extent J.T - it's going to be an emotional night for teammates that played with them," coach Alain Vigneault said. "At the end of the day, we have to go out and play a game, a good game, and that's what we're going to try and focus on."

McDonagh spent parts of eight seasons with the Rangers, beginning in 2011 following his promotion for Hartford (AHL) in January until his trade to Tampa at the deadline in February.
Girardi, meanwhile, played nearly 800 games as a Ranger over parts of 11 years, beginning in the 2006-07 season after signing as an undrafted free agent.
The two will be forever linked together as the Rangers' top pairing for most of the organization's successful run from the start of the 2011-12 season through last year. Girardi was bought out of his contract in June 2017.
"They were our No. 1 pair. They always had the toughest assignment. They thrived on that," Vigneault said of Girardi and McDonagh. "They wanted to go up against the best players in the league and compete and work hard. I've got nothing but total respect for those two. They always came and gave 100 percent. There was never any excuses. Very accountable to their performance. Very accountable to their teammates and that's what you want from your players."
Forward Mats Zuccarello, the fourth-longest tenured Ranger behind Henrik Lundqvist, Marc Staal and Chris Kreider (though Zuccarello joined the Rangers a season before Kreider, but spent time in 2013 in the Kontinental Hockey League) expressed his respect for McDonagh, not only as a player but as a friend.
"It's going to be tough for sure. He's a guy that had been here my whole career since I became a Ranger," Zuccarello said of McDonagh. "He's been here with me and we kind of went the same path down to the AHL together and called up almost at the same time.
:He's one of my good, good friends and I miss him when I look around the lockeroom. To see him on the other team is going to be tough for sure. At the end of the day, we didn't have a good season here with the Rangers. We didn't make the playoffs. It's tough, but I'm just happy for him that he gets to play in the playoffs and play on a good team. It's good to see."
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The Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award will be presented for the 30th time on Friday night.
Zuccarello, who has won the award the last two seasons and three of the last four, called the honor the "coolest and biggest award" a player can win in New York.
"It's a fan award and it's something that means a lot to you. It's special," Zuccarello said. "Whoever gets it this year deserves it and for sure will enjoy it. It's something that you remember for the rest of your life. It's a big, big achievement to get that award. I think it means a lot to the fans and a lot to the players. It's the biggest trophy you can win in my opinion."

Vigneault reflected on the speeches McDonald, who passed away in January 2017, would give to the team and the one he especially gave to Vigneault several years ago.
"It's a very special one," Vigneault said of the award. "Some of his speeches - I remember him talking directly to me and sending me very direct messages on what he wanted the team to do. He always did it the right way. It is a big award for any player on this team. He meant a lot to this franchise and this organization."
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Ondrej Pavelec will get the start after Henrik Lundqvist returned after missing three games on Wednesday night in Washington.