Ben Harpur is no stranger to his current situation.
After a stressful offseason of not knowing where he was going to play, Harpur turned an AHL professional tryout with the Wolf Pack into a two-year extension with the Rangers. He skated in 21 straight games on the third defensive pair with Braden Schneider, providing the size and strength that head coach Gerard Gallant prefers in his blueliners.
The day-to-day has now changed a bit for Harpur, who collected one goal and three assists in his 21-game stretch. He spends extra time on the ice during practice days and game days to get more work in since he’s not seeing game action. The 28-year-old said he tries to make the most out of every day so that he’s ready to step in if there’s an injury.
“He understands that’s part of the game,” Gallant said. “When your team gets better, things happen. Ben has come a long way this year. He came from being in Hartford, not getting much respect around, and then coming up here and playing [21] games in a row and he played solid hockey. He understands it. He’s been a veteran and he’s been a good soldier.”
Igor Shesterkin earned the starting nod Monday, his 41st start of the season. The netminder had 17 saves on 21 attempts. The Rangers’ 51 shots on goal marked a new season high, surpassing the 46 the team put up against the Avalanche on Oct. 25 and the Lightning on Dec. 29. It was also the most the Rangers have posted since Jan. 27, 2010, when they recorded 52 shots against the Islanders.
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