It’s faint praise to commend professional athletes for acting, well, professional. But there is something to be said about the almost joyous mood surrounding the Rangers as they get deeper and deeper into a tumultuous time in the course of this season, if not the course of the rebuilding of the roster.
With the Feb. 25 trade deadline rapidly approaching, and with lineup stalwarts Kevin Hayes and Mats Zuccarello leading the way of players who very well could be dealt, the team practiced Thursday with an unexpected jump in its collective step. In addition to the uncertainty approaching the deadline, the club had returned from Winnipeg at 5:30 a.