What was assumed to be inevit🌊able became official on Saturday, with Rangers forward Rick Nash being named to his s🧸ixth All-Star team. And yet on Monday, Nash was still in his deferential mind-set, saying there is something more important than his 26 goals, tied for the league lead going into Monday’s action.
“I think I’m at the point in my career that I’m more satisfied with where the team is at right now,” Nash said after the team’s first practice since returning from its three-game sweep of the California teams, winners of 13 of their past 14. “The individual statistics are nice, but it’s more important where our team points in ♐the standings are.”
Going into Tuesday’s Garden match against the Islanders, Nash is also in the midst of the Hart Trophy conversation for league MVP — another thing th🍰at doesn’t really concern him.
“I don’t really read too much of the media and that stuff,” he said. “I’m at theꦇ point in my career where I’m not really interested in the personal stuff. I like the team awards a lot better.”
This All-Star Game is even more poignant for the 30-year-old Nash, as the game will be played on Jan. 25 in Columbus, Ohio, where the ♏Blue Jackets made Nash the No. 1-overall pick in 2002 and where he played his first nine seasons.
“It makes it a little extra special,” he said
As for expecting boos from the hometown fans?
“For sure,” he said. “It is what it is.”
It looks as if the Islanders will be without forward Mikhail Grabovski, who missed Saturday’s 5-2 win in Columbus with a ♓lower-body injury. He did not pr🍌actice on Monday, although he did work out off the ice.
Grabovski was injured while blocking a shot in the first period of Friday’s 3-2 overtime win against the Devils, his first game being back on the top line with John Tavares since the start of the season. Signed in t💫he offseason to a four-year, $20 million deal, the 30-year-old Grabovski tried to return in the second period, but couldn’t.
He was ꧟replaced on Saturday by Josh Bailey, who had missed Friday w𝓀ith an “upper-body injury.”
Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi was the only player to miss Monday’s practice, but the team called it a “maintenance day.” Coach Alain Vigneault said there was no concern for Girardi’s health going forward.
Girardi has been dealing wit🌄h a left-ankleꦍ injury suffered in Dallas the week before New Year’s.
The Rangers’ power-play comes into game having scored on 10-of-23 man-advantages, getting it to 20.7 percent success rateꦺ on the season, good for a tie for 10th in the league before play on Monday.
“Solid puck movement, and when the opportunity to shoot it is there, we shoot it,” Vigneault said. “The hardest thing to defend is the shot — you never know where that rebou🌠nd is going. Guys have a shoot-more mentality and it’s paid off.”