NEW YORK — Rangers coach Gerard Gallant stayed with the same lineup against the Washington Capitals in the Blueshirts’ return to action from the Christmas break Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. That meant defenseman Ben Harpur was in the lineup for a sixth consecutive game, which was something that was unexpected for the 6-6, 231-pounder, whom the Rangers called up from AHL Hartford on Dec. 3.
“When I first got called up, I thought it was more of an opportunity to get a younger guy (Zac Jones) to play some games down in Hartford instead of, you know, sitting in the press box here,’’ Harpur said after the Rangers’ morning skate Tuesday. “And me being a bit older now, I’d come up and be the 7th ‘D,' and that's what my impression was.’’
That was what Gallant said the plan was at the time. Jones was sent to Hartford, and Libor Hajek was going to get a run. But after the Dec. 12 win over the Devils, Gallant decided to put Harpur in the next game, against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He hasn’t come out of the lineup since.
