Carson Soucy was activated off injured reserve forward of the Rangers matchup with the Wild on Monday evening, but head coach Mike Sullivan did not go back to the defensive formation he began the season with.
While Soucy slotted proper back in, Sullivan opted to hold Matthew Robertson in the prime six after the Rangers rookie impressed in the 4 video games he performed in aid.
That edged Urho Vaakanainen out of the lineup, making the 26-year-old defenseman a wholesome scratch for the first time this season.
“Those decisions are always difficult,” Sullivan said before the Rangers lost 3-1 to Minnesota at Madison Square Garden. “We have so much respect for every player on the team, what they bring to help us become a team. So we don’t take those decisions lightly. Ultimately, it’s my responsibility to try to make the best decision for the team from a roster standpoint and a lineup standpoint. But those decisions are always tough.”
Soucy missed the earlier 4 video games with an upper-body harm he sustained in the second interval of the Rangers sport in Pittsburgh on Oct. 11.
Carson Soucy chases the puck in the second interval at Madison Square Garden in New York JASON SZENES/ NY POST
It was a rather scary play, in which the 31-year-old blueliner went face first into the boards while trying a hit on Penguins wing Rickard Rakell. He was back on the ice in a purple noncontact jersey fairly shortly, but the Rangers put him on injured reserve to give him ample time to heal.
“It looked worse than it was,” Soucy said. “It also didn’t really feel nice at the time, little more just shock when it occurred. And then clearly a little stiff next couple days, but been feeling good. Skates have been feeling good coming back, just making an attempt to get back prepared to play.
“Just the look of it when you go in like that, the spotters and everything are gonna — that’s an easy one to see. IR, you want to come back, you want to feel good, you want to be full strength. So I think it was just kind of smart all the way around.”
Carson Soucy tries to rating a purpose and is stopped by Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon in the third interval. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
After skating next to Will Borgen through the first three video games, Soucy lined up next to Braden Schneider on the third pairing Monday evening against Minnesota. Robertson evidently confirmed enough to stay alongside Borgen as the second defensive pair behind Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov.
Vincent Trocheck, who is on long-term injured reserve with an upper-body harm, has yet to resume skating, according to Sullivan. The 32-year-old heart is not eligible to return until Nov. 1 at the earliest.
“He was here today,” Sullivan said Monday at MSG Training Center. “He’s doing very well. He’s progressing, and when he gets to that next level we’ll let you know.”
Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin stopped 29 of the 31 photographs he saw in his fourth loss of the season.
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