Regarding the Rangers, who reconvene for practice on Sunday:
1. It is unclear when Neal Pionk, sidelined for four of the past five games heading into the All-Star break with a lower-body issue, will be cleared to return. But when he is, coach David Quinn will face one of the trickiest lineup decisions of his brief tenure.
That is, does Pionk necessarily rejoin the lineup the moment he’s ready, and if so, who comes out? Tony DeAngelo? Adam McQuaid? Kevin Shattenkirk?
DeAngelo has taken the baton passed to him in Pionk’s absence and has run with it, not only playing the most consistently constructive hockey of his brief NHL career, but combining with Marc Staal to form the team’s most solid first pair yet, though we’re not quite talking Brian Leetch-Jeff Beukeboom.