The Rangers are getting back a defenseman coming out of the holiday break.
Blueshirts defenseman K’Andre Miller was activated off of injured reserve Friday ahead of the game against the Lightning on Saturday, according to the NHL media website.
Miller took part in his first practice Friday morning after suffering an upper-body injury that landed him on the IR on Dec. 13.
Head coach Peter Laviolette called the practice “a good step in the right direction” for Miller.
“He looked good. It was his first practice,” Laviolette said. “We haven’t had a lot of practice time inside of this schedule. That’s just where we’re at in the year. … It was a good practice for him, and it’s a good step in the right direction.”
Miller missed six consecutive games due to the injury, and the Rangers went 1-5 in that stretch.
He had been hurt after a hit from Sabres forward Jordan Greenway in a 3-2 win Dec. 11.
Chad Ruhwedel appeared in four games in place of the injured Miller and registered a point during the loss to the Hurricanes on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.
Miller has struggled this season on the blue line, registering just six points in 28 games while having a minus-five rating and being on the ice for more five-on-five goals than any other Blueshirts defenseman.
The holiday break for the Rangers came with a greater significance, considering where the team sits through 34 games this year.
Laviolette explained after practice how the break can produce mixed results but believed it helped the Rangers clear their heads.
“You often ask me about a break, and I’ll say, ‘We’ll see,’ ” he said. “When you haven’t won games like we have, you hope that that break can send you in a different direction, and often times, it does. … This is an opportunity for us to clear the deck. I do think from a mental and a physical standpoint to get away from it for a second, come back in. We have a good practice and head down to Tampa. Now, we have to follow it up with what we do on the ice versus Tampa Bay.”
The Rangers are coming out of the holiday break with the third-best penalty kill in the NHL, even after giving up three power-play goals to the Devils in Monday’s loss at Prudential Center.
Their 85.3 percent efficiency on the PK trails just the Predators and Hurricanes.
“It’s been one of the more consistent things for us the entire year,” Laviolette said.
