WASHINGTON – Top-four defenseman and alternate captain Marc Staal said in so many words Friday morning that he could return to the Rangers’ lineup as early as Sunday in Tampa Bay if his recovery continues on its current pace.
 
Staal, out since a Dec. 7 concussion, skated “really hard” on Monday, went on ice again Thursday, participated fully in Friday’s morning skate at Verizon Center, and anticipated his first full practice since the injury on Saturday at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va.
 
TALBOT MAKING THIRD STRAIGHT START FOR RANGERS VS. CAPS

Asked if it’s fair to expect Staal will return during this five-game road trip, he said: “It’s certainly not out of the question, if (Friday) and (Saturday) go well, hopefully my legs and I kind of catch up to everything else, and we go from there. It’s definitely not out of the question, though. It all depends on how it goes every day. It could be different than the next, so I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself.”
 
Staal, 26, said it’s important for him to “get the wind and the legs back” but didn’t seem convinced he needed too many practices with contact to convince him whether he’s ready.
 
“It’s good to bump a little bit in practice, but there’s really no comparison once you get into a game anyways,” Staal said. “Once you’re confident you’re feeling well, you’ve got to take that into a game, and then when you do get hit or give a hit, everything will be clear, and you just go from there.”
 
SKATE, CAPTAIN, SKATE
Captain Ryan Callahan skated Friday morning on his own, wearing a brace on his left knee, for the first time since spraining his MCL on Dec. 10. Callahan was in sweatpants, without his full gear, but was encouraged by the small step.
 
“It felt good,” Callahan said. “It’s hard to tell. I’m just in sweats, but it felt good crossing over and things like that. You want to make sure that feels good before you jump into full equipment on the ice. So it’s a first step, and it went well.
 
Callahan’s initial diagnosis was four-to-six weeks out of the lineup, which put his estimated return date between Jan. 7-21. He said he always shoots to return sooner rather than later, though, and it’s no different with this injury.
 
“Going into it, I always try to look at the four weeks instead of the six weeks, and that’s what I work towards, so hopefully I can hit that mark,” Callahan said.
 
Callahan, 28, said since coming off crutches around Dec. 17, he has been biking and working out “the past week or so, trying to get the muscle around (the MCL) stronger.” That went well enough that he could skate on Friday.
 
The rest of his body also may be benefitting from this rest. He broke his left thumb on Oct. 19 after having offseason surgery on his left shoulder for a torn labrum.
 
“It’s been a tough year so far injury-wise for me,” said Callahan, who admitted he was “pretty miserable” for a couple days after learning of his second-degree MCL sprain. “It’s frustrating, but at the same time, it’s part of the game and getting back on the ice. I know (skating on Friday was) a big step in the right direction, so it’s a positive day.”
 
Callahan said he believes Team USA officials have reached out to the Rangers’ trainers to check in on his status, given that the Winter Olympics are right around the corner in February. He said he was worried initially about how this injury could affect his opportunity, but now he is optimistic it will not affect his ability to participate.
 
“I thought about it. You definitely do,” Callahan said. “That’s something I’m working towards this year and I want to be a part of. But the way it looks now, it doesn’t look like it’ll affect that at all. That’s a good thing.”
 
MORE LUNDQVIST REACTION
Here are some of Henrik Lundqvist’s comments from Friday morning that I did not include in the main story on Cam Talbot making his third consecutive start, or at least did not include in their entirety:
 
Lundqvist on his game: “I feel like there are some details in my game that I can work on and improve. It’s one thing to, in your mind, you want to be at one place, but technically or physically you just need to push yourself to get there. So far this year, there’s been a lot of good parts, but it’s been inconsistent, so I think the best way to get rid of that is to work even harder if you can and be positive about the game.”
 
Lundqvist on the mental challenge: “Goaltending is probably 90-percent mental. There’s a lot of guys that can stop the puck in practice, but when it comes to playing the game and making stops when you need to, it’s so much mentally. You just need to work the net as well and approach it the right way, and it just comes down to focusing on the things you can control. That’s so important when you play. The game is too fast to analyze the game or think too much in any situation. Of course, when you win, you gain confidence, and unfortunately when I’ve been in net, we just haven’t been winning enough.”
 
Lundqvist on being competitive: “It’s tough. You want to be out there and playing. You want to play well, and you want to win, but in the end, it’s about the team and it’s about winning. Cam’s playing really well, and the team’s playing really well. So I just have to put myself aside. I watch from the bench and we’ve looked good. We got the points we needed. It’s a tough balance. Of course you want to be out there, but in the end it’s what we do as a group and what’s best for the group. That being said, I’m really competitive. I want to play., but I understand the situation, too.”
 
RANGERS LINEUP VS. CAPITALS (same lineup for third straight game; only change is Del Zotto and John Moore switching pairs)
Forwards: Chris Kreider-Derek Stepan-Rick Nash, Derick Brassard- Brad Richards-Mats Zuccarello, Carl Hagelin-J.T. Miller-Benoit Pouliot, Brian Boyle-Dominic Moore-Derek Dorsett.
 
Defensemen: Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi, Michael Del Zotto-Anton Stralman, John Moore-Justin Falk.
 
Goalie: Cam Talbot
 
Healthy scratch: Taylor Pyatt
 
Injured: Ryan Callahan (sprained left MCL), Marc Staal (concussion)
 
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