Nobody benefited from the Rangers sweeping the Capitals in the first round more than Adam Fox.
The 26-year-old defenseman rejoined the Blueshirts on the ice for practice Saturday after he took the previous five days to recuperate.
Even though the Rangers didn’t practice for three of the five days this past week, Fox was not on the ice with the team for the days that they did — Wednesday and Thursday — due to what the team described as “maintenance” purposes.
Just in time to adequately prepare for Game 1 against the Hurricanes on Sunday at Madison Square Garden, however, there was Fox back in his usual spot alongside Ryan Lindgren.
“I’m good to go,” he said. “I think any time you get some extra rest and [time to] recover, other guys have had maintenance days, I think just having that extra time off is important. Just took a couple days to rest up a bit.”
Fox took a bit of a beating in the Rangers’ series-clinching victory over the Capitals in Game 4 last Sunday.
Getting put in a headlock by Tom Wilson in the moments after Vincent Trocheck’s power-play goal at the end of the first period was one thing, but when he collided with Capitals defenseman Nick Jensen, flashes of Fox’s stint on long-term injured reserve earlier this season came flooding back.
“He got a piece of me,” the 2021 Norris Trophy-winning blueliner quipped.
Fox was sidelined for 10 straight games in November after suffering a lower-body injury from an eerily similar knee-on-knee collision with the Hurricanes’ Sebastian Aho.
Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette said Fox had no restrictions in practice Saturday, which means all signs point to the Jericho, N.Y., native being available for Game 1.
Fox and Lindgren logged the second-most minutes of the Rangers’ D-pairs in Round 1, finishing with 49:12, behind only the 57:49 posted by K’Andre Miller and Braden Schneider.
During five-on-five play, they were on the ice for two Rangers goals and zero against, according to Natural Stat Trick.
“I think I was just kind of following, talking with the trainers and coaches, what was best,” Fox said of his recovery. “Around this time of year, if you could get some extra rest, it’s important. I was fully ready to practice [Saturday]. It’s nice to get out there and skate before the game.”
