New York Rangers center Derek Stepan suffered a broken jaw in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals and underwent surgery to repair the injury Friday, but that won’t keep him out of the lineup in Game 5.
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Montreal Canadiens forward Brandon Prust caused the injury with a late hit in the first period of Game 3, which earned him a two-game suspension.
Stepan, who didn’t play in Game 4, took line rushes with Rick Nash and Chris Kreider during Tuesday’s morning skate and in the pre-game warmup. He was wearing a special face protector, which he will use in Game 5 with the Rangers one win away from reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 20 years.
