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New York Rangers: Seeking Revenge Against Wayne Simmonds?

By Nick Ziegler

Oct 24, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Flyers right wing Wayne Simmonds (17) against the New York Rangers during the second period at Wells Fargo Center. The Flyers won 3-2 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Derik Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 24, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Flyers right wing Wayne Simmonds (17) against the New York Rangers during the second period at Wells Fargo Center. The Flyers won 3-2 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Derik Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New York Rangers will be facing off against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday evening for the first time since the incident between Wayne Simmonds and Ryan McDonagh.

McDonagh suffered a concussion on the punch Simmonds landed, which caused a lot of unhappiness for the Rangers. On Sunday night, McDonagh will be out once again, but the good news is that he is starting to feel better.

“As soon as it happens, you’re feeling different thoughts, but my main focus was just trying to get healthy again and getting back to feeling the way I’m accustomed to,” McDonagh said to Howie Kussoy of the New York Post. “Everybody’s seen it now. It’s only been a week, but it’s a long time in the hockey world, especially with the game coming up. I just want to have the guys make sure they’re focused, and I’m just thankful I’m starting to feel like myself again and my health is coming back.”

“I’m starting to feel like myself,” McDonagh said to Kussoy. “I have a lot of energy physically. That was something in the beginning, where I was just feeling lethargic, not a lot of energy, but I’m getting back to full strength here, which is exciting.”

A Rangers-Flyers game is generally a physical game, but there is also some belief that the Rangers will look to get even with Simmonds for their captain. If anyone is going to drop the gloves with Simmons on Sunday, it will likely be Tanner Glass.

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“I don’t know. We’ll see,” Glass said to Kussoy. “As a group, we didn’t like the hit. It was right in front of our bench. We all saw it, [but] it’s part of the game, as sad as it is to say. We’ll see what happens.

“Ryan’s a huge part of our team and a leader both on and off the ice for us, so anytime a guy like that does get hit you want to make sure you help the guy out.”

The Rangers need to get two points badly after blowing a game against the Los Angeles Kings on Friday night, and that is the focus of their head coach.

“I think the importance of the game for our group here as far as the two points that are up for grabs has to be our focus,” Vigneault said to Kussoy. “All of our games against the Flyers have been hard-fought, emotional, tight. … It’s gonna be another typical Flyers-Rangers game, a lot of emotion, there’s gonna be some physicality, but you need to make plays, and that has to be our group’s mentality.”

Next: Who was the greatest Ranger of 2014?

The Rangers were very open about their feeling about the hit Simmonds landed on McDonagh, so don’t be surprised to see the Rangers look to get even with Simmonds for their captain.

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