Music: {allcanada} Rangers' Stepan on ice for warm-ups before Game 5

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

{allcanada} Rangers' Stepan on ice for warm-ups before Game 5

PRISM (Deluxe Version) - Katy Perry / ARTPOP - Lady Gaga

MONTREAL -- New York Rangers center Derek Stepan is on the ice for warm-ups prior to Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.

Stepan wore a plastic guard on his helmet to protect his surgically repaired jaw during the morning skate and in warm-ups. He broke his jaw during Game 3 on Thursday and had surgery Friday night.

The Rangers lead the best-of-7 series 3-1. They can clinch their first trip to the Stanley Cup Final since 1994 with a win.

Stepan can talk and has been on a soft diet, according to a Rangers spokesperson. Coach Alain Vigneault said the Rangers wanted to make sure Stepan went through a normal morning skate so they could accurately assess how he felt afterward.

He took line rushes in his usual spot between Chris Kreider and Rick Nash. He also worked in his usual spot on the first power-play unit with Kreider, Brad Richards, Martin St. Louis and Ryan McDonagh.

Stepan has 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 17 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"He's showed us a lot the last couple of days of trying to get back out here and battle for his team," Richards said. "That means a lot to our group."

Stepan sustained his injury early in the first period of Game 3, when he was hit by Montreal forward Brandon Prust.

Prust was not penalized by the on-ice officials, but he was suspended for two games by the NHL Department of Player Safety. He is serving the second game of his suspension Tuesday.

Stepan went to the dressing room and had X-rays, which came back negative. He returned in the first period and finished the game, assisting on Kreider's game-tying goal late in regulation.

Stepan complained of pain after the game and a CT scan Friday revealed the fracture in his jaw.

"It's a great, great sign to be back that quick here and be able to skate with us as a group," McDonagh said.

Stepan had never missed a game in his NHL career before sitting out Game 4 on Sunday, which snapped his streak at 348 games.

"It's a pretty incredible run that he had there," McDonagh said. "He's such a smart player. He might not be known as a physical guy, but he can throw some big hits and take some big hits too. He's takes a lot of hits to make plays, the way he holds on to the puck and is patient and waits it out. He's just as tough as any player out there that I've seen."

The Rangers have their full lineup for the first time since the beginning of Game 1, when center Derick Brassard sustained an upper-body injury on a hit from Montreal defenseman Mike Weaver 3:03 into the first period. Brassard didn't return to Game 1 and missed Games 2 and 3.

"[Stepan] was missed," Richards said. "We're lucky we got Brassard back in so that kind of [canceled] that out."

Here are the projected lineups:

RANGERS

Chris Kreider - Derek Stepan - Rick Nash

Carl Hagelin - Brad Richards - Martin St. Louis

Benoit Pouliot - Derick Brassard - Mats Zuccarello

Brian Boyle - Dominic Moore - Derek Dorsett

Ryan McDonagh - Dan Girardi

Marc Staal - Anton Stralman

John Moore - Kevin Klein

Henrik Lundqvist

Cam Talbot