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Rangers’ Stepan breaks jaw on hit from Prust

By WTOP Staff

IRA PODELL
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Rangers’ smooth ride to the Stanley Cup finals has suddenly become much rougher.

Not only did the Broadway Blueshirts let the Montreal Canadiens back into the Eastern Conference finals with a 3-2 overtime victory Thursday at Madison Square Garden, they might have to play without top forward Derek Stepan, whose broken jaw required surgery Friday.

The Rangers will carry a 2-1 series lead into Sunday’s Game 4, but finishing off the Canadiens could be more difficult if Stepan is sidelined for long.

The center was injured 2:48 in when he was struck by a hard, blindside hit from Montreal’s Brandon Prust, who wasn’t penalized for the shot that left Stepan sprawled on the ice for several moments. Prust had a disciplinary hearing with the NHL on Friday, and was given a two-game suspension for interference by the league’s department of player safety. He would be eligible to play in Game 6 should the series last that long.

Stepan got up after the hit, had X-rays taken that were negative, and returned to the game. But pain later Thursday night and again on Friday prompted the Rangers to send him to a specialist. Further tests and scans revealed the fracture.

His playing status is unclear, but Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said more would be known Saturday. With a two-day break before Game 4, both teams stayed off the ice Friday.

Vigneault had already proclaimed Thursday that the on-ice officials failed in not penalizing Prust. He hammered the point home Friday and took issue with Prust, who was critical of New York forward Chris Kreider’s collision with Carey Price in Game 1 that knocked the Canadiens’ No. 1 goalie out of the series.

“Four referees missed the call. Stepan is injured,” Vigneault said. “The same player that called the hit on Price ‘accidental but on purpose.’

“Late hit, everything that you want to get out of the game, that was his hit on Stepan. What saddens me about that hit is, if the call is made on the ice, we’re on a five-minute power play.”

Prust, a fan favorite when he previously played for the Rangers, was hit from behind at 5:51 of the first period by New York enforcer Daniel Carcillo, who was penalized for charging. That immediately led to Prust fighting Derek Dorsett. During that altercation, Carcillo twice elbowed linesman Steve Driscoll, who was trying to keep him out of the fray, and was ejected from the game.

Carcillo was given an automatic 10-game suspension by the NHL on Friday for physical abuse on an official without intent to injure.

“What Dan did was inexcusable, and he’s going to pay a big price for it,” Vigneault said, “but if the call is made on the ice, he’s not put in that situation.”

The 23-year-old Stepan, who has three playoff goals and is second on the team with 11 points, was out of action for about six minutes before returning to play. He had an assist on Kreider’s tying goal with 28.1 seconds left in regulation — extending his point and assist streak to five games — and registered two shots in 17 minutes, 46 seconds of ice time.

New York is already missing forward Derick Brassard, who has sat out two games after hurting his shoulder in the opener. Jesper Fast and J.T. Miller could rejoin the lineup for Game 4.

The Canadiens, still reeling from the series-ending injury to Price in the opener, were fired up by Prust’s hit. Montreal rallied from a 1-0 deficit, took a 2-1 lead on Danny Briere’s goal with 3:02 left in regulation, and shook off Kreider’s tying tally to win it when 20-year-old center Alex Galchenyuk netted the overtime winner at 1:12.

“Prusty was trying to set the tone,” Canadiens center David Desharnais said Friday. “I thought it was a good hit. You never want to injure somebody, but it set the tone for the game.”

Price was shut down because of a suspected knee injury after Kreider barreled into him while driving to the net Saturday. The Canadiens went from saying the hit was probably accidental to that it could have been avoided, to coach Michel Therrien calling it “reckless.” Therrien defended Prust on Friday.

“Brandon Prust’s intention was not to hurt Derek Stepan. It was to finish his check,” he said. “It was a hockey hit, and obviously Stepan got hurt.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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