As expected, Derek Stepan won’t play in Game 4 tonight of the Eastern Conference finals.
Stepan received a broken jaw in Game 3 when Montreal’s Brandon Prust collided with him.
“He’s recovering at home and there is no timetable (for his return) at this point,” New York Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said Sunday.
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Stepan had surgery Friday and actually visited the team at the rink Sunday.
“It’s an unfortunate injury,” Prust said Saturday of of Stepan, a friend of Prust’s. “Unfortunate for him, and unfortunate for me. My mindset is not trying to injure anybody. And Step is a friend of mine. My main focus on the hit was keeping my elbow tucked, trying to make sure I got him in the chest.”
Prust said he texted Stepan that he felt “awful” about the incident. Prust was suspended two games by the league.
The Rangers lead the best-of-7 series, 2-1, entering tonight’s matchup at Madison Square Garden.