Bobby Bevilacqua

Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.

The Rangers practiced today ahead of their road game against the Buffalo Sabres tomorrow night. And it seems like they’re very close to getting two of their key players back. Rick Nash and Henrik Lundqvist both skated with the team and it looks like they’ll be back soon.

Lundqvist has missed the last two games with neck spasms after colliding with Ryan McDonagh in the game against the Penguins. He was on the ice and participated in drills, but he will not travel with the team to Buffalo. However, he said that the plan is to “be ready for the weekend.”

Nash practiced in a non-contact jersey, marking the first time that he skated with teammates since his injury back in January. He also won’t be traveling to Buffalo, marking the 20^th straight game he will be out, but the good news is that his status has been upgraded from “week to week” to “day to day.”

“It’s good and it’s exciting,” Nash told Jim Cerny of Blueshirts United. “The toughest part is not playing, but it’s also tough not being around these guys, they are like family. Having that taken away is not too fun. It felt good out there. It was a positive day, for sure.”

Nash also said it was hard to keep up with his teammate during practice after being sidelined for so many weeks, and that he needs to work on his conditioning and cardio before rejoining the lineup.

In last night’s game, Dylan McIlrath injured his leg after a hit along the boards. He left the game and did not return, and will not travel to Buffalo. Marc Staal, who was dealing with back spasms, isn’t ready either and will not be in tomorrow’s lineups.

As a result, the Rangers recalled Brady Skjei from Hartford on an emergency basis. Skjei, 21, has skated in three games with the Rangers this season, making his NHL debut against Edmonton. In his last game, he logged a team-high 22:17 of ice-time on February 23^rd against the New Jersey Devils.

In 56 games with the Wolf Pack, he’s scored three goals with 20 assists, along with 24 penalty minutes. He’s third on the team in assists and second amongst defensemen in assists and points.