Knee sprain could idle Rangers’ Brett Howden ‘a little while’

Brett Howden NHLI via Getty ImagesThe 10-day break that encompassed the bye week and the All-Star Game came at a perfect time for Rangers rookie center Brett Howden. But his refreshed game lasted just over four minutes of ice time on Tuesday night before he suffered a sprained knee and did not return to what would be a 1-0 loss to the Flyers.

Howden, 20, was set to get a MRI late Wednesday afternoon, but the club is still expecting to deal with his absence for some time.

“It could be a little while,” coach David Quinn said.

The season had started really well for Howden, making the team out of training camp and showing a two-way, responsible game. But he hit a rookie wall at some point, and was…