Marc Staal said there has been improvement over the past two days with regard to his blurred vision and altered depth perception. "That week after the game I didn't play [Game 4 against the Capitals], I had some ups and downs and I took a few days off to let things settle down," Staal said. "The last two days have been better so we'll go from there. It's worse to sit and watch than it is to deal with the eye." He didn't say if he would play in Game 4 Thursday, but it's unlikely that he does.

It would be very beneficial for the Rangers if Marc Staal were able to return for Game 4 Thursday night. He skated Wednesday and hasn't played since Game 3 versus Washington. The Rangers probably won't have Anton Stralman available when they face elimination from the playoffs after he was injured in Tuesday's contest.

Marc Staal (eye) took to the ice with the Rangers' practice squad on Monday. He engaged in contact drills during the session. Staal's return to the lineup is still cloudy, but it's good to see him back on the ice after he took several days off to presumably rest.

Marc Staal (eye) wasn't on the ice with the Rangers on Saturday. Staal resumed skating on Friday after taking several days off. There's no timetable for his return, but it would be surprising if he plays again in the near future.

Marc Staal (eye) has started to skate again. Staal stayed off the ice for several days. There's still no timetable for his return and information regarding his progress has been scarce during the playoffs.

Marc Staal (eye) did not travel with the Rangers to Boston. The two teams will play Game 2 of their semifinal series on Sunday afternoon, but Staal's availability is still up in the air. He played in Game 3 against Washington in Round 1, but hasn't played since because of blurry vision.

Marc Staal (eye) missed practice in the morning and won't play Thursday night. He wasn't expected to play because he's still being bothered by blurry vision.

Marc Staal (eye) wasn't on the ice for practice Wednesday. He played in one game in the first round against Washington, but missed the last four contests because he didn't feel comfortable with his blurry vision. Staal probably won't play in Game 1 versus Boston and his status is cloudy at best for Round 2.

Marc Staal (eye) will not play in Monday's Game 7 against the Washington Capitals. Staal wasn't expected to play as he deals with blurry vision as a result of a puck to the eye earlier in the season. Staal played in Game 3 but pulled himself out of the lineup for Game 4 and hasn't dressed in a game since.

Defenseman Marc Staal would not speculate about the possibility of playing again in the opening-round playoff series that the New York Rangers trail 3-2 heading into today's Game 6 at the Garden. Game 7 would be played in Washington on Monday night if necessary. "With this thing, the way I've been dealing with it is that I wake up in the morning and take it from there," Staal said about his eye injury. "I'll wake up [today] and go at it again. If I'm ready to go, I want to play. I couldn't speculate one way or the other [whether it will be possible]."