GREENBURG, N.Y. — Kevin Shattenkirk welcomed the hits.
The Rangers defenseman, who has missed six games with a separated left shoulder he suffered on Dec. 10, said he felt game-ready after the team’s practice on Friday and hopes he’ll be part of the lineup when they face Nashville on Saturday night.
“Today was the first time that I was able to really bump some guys around and get knocked around myself,” said Shattenkirk, who also practiced on Thursday morning. “It felt like I kind of checked off some boxes and felt good working through it.”
Shattenkirk was originally expected to be out for up to four weeks, and while he said he doesn’t want to rush anything, added that he was anxious to start playing again.