Henrik Lundqvist took a significant step towards returning from a vascular injury on Tuesday, as the Rangers announced he’s been medically cleared to return to practice.
Lundqvist, who suffered the injury in late January and hasn’t played since Feb. 2, will begin skating with teammates in the hope of getting back into game action. Per yesterday’s report from The Hockey News, the 33-year-old netminder is targeting his return date on Mar. 24 against Los Angeles -- a rematch of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final.
When ready, Lundqvist will rejoin a Blueshirts team that’s thrived in his absence. While some figured the club would take a step back with Cam Talbot as its No. 1 netminder, New York has done the opposite -- in 20 games sans-Lundqvist the Rangers have gone a remarkable 15-2-3, vaulting atop the NHL standings.