When Islanders winger Cal Clutterbuck collided with Dylan McIlrath in the first period of a game on March 6, the Rangers’ rugged rookie defenseman immediately clutched his right knee and hobbled straight down the tunnel into the trainer’s room at Madison Square Garden.
It was a frightening flashback for McIlrath, who had two knee surgeries in 2012, stemming from a dislocated knee in development camp, an injury that derailed the development of the former first-round draft pick.
“It hurt right away,” the 6-5 blueliner recalled this week after his first full practice since the collision. “You never want to get injured, so I was pretty bummed.