After extended absences, Kaapo Kakko and Kevin Rooney returned to the Rangers’ lineup just in time to help the club clinch a playoff berth with a 5-1 win Saturday night over the Senators.
The forwards were activated off injured reserve and will now have 10 regular-season contests to get back into game shape. Kakko was sidelined the previous 31 games with a suspected wrist injury. Rooney was also out with an undisclosed upper-body injury, missing 18 games.
Kakko had been playing on the right wing of the top line with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad in the weeks leading up to his injury, but trade-deadline acquisition Frank Vatrano has found success in that spot.USA TODAY Sports “We’ve been talking about that with the other young guys, too, just becoming more of a pro and doing the little things that matter. That’s something I’ve been seeing from him. It’s not easy to be gone for that long, but I’m sure he’s excited to be back.”