Isles' MacDonald needs surgery, season ends

Andrew MacDonald started to feel nagging pain deep in his left hip right around the All-Star break. This being his breakout season in the NHL, coupled with his Islanders team going on a roll after its ugly start, meant he didn't want to cut his 2010-11 short.

On Friday, though, MacDonald's season came to an end. He has a torn labrum in his hip that will require the same arthroscopic surgery that ended the seasons of fellow defensemen Mike Mottau and Mark Eaton months ago. Playing through it for nearly two months took a toll; now, with the playoffs realistically out of reach, MacDonald will give in and become the fourth defenseman, including Mark Streit, to have season-ending surgery.

MacDonald estimated that the operation, which involves repairing the labrum tear and shaving down the bone in the hip socket, will require two to three months of recovery, followed by rehab and skating. He should be ready for training camp.

"It's not something that's impossible to play through, but everyone just felt that at this point in the season, it's best to try and be prepared for next season," said MacDonald, who finishes the season with four goals, 23 assists and a plus-9 rating in 60 games, with a team-high 23:24 of ice time per game. "A lot of this game is mental, and I tried to just play my game, play a smart game, but at the end there, it was starting to bother me a bit."

MacDonald missed 15 games with a broken hand, suffered Oct. 21. The Islanders went 1-11-3 without him. When he returned, he got a chance to take over as a top-pair defenseman and ran with it, establishing himself as one of the cornerstones of the future, even after his latest injury was diagnosed.

"He's deserved everything he's gotten here. He's been a warrior for us," coach Jack Capuano said. "His willingness to block shots, to take a hit to make a play -- he's a leader for us."

With seven games to go, MacDonald and the medical staff decided that, despite his outstanding year, next season is even more important.

"It's tough for any team to do anything with the injuries we've had," Frans Nielsen said. "Maybe next year, we can hope to be healthy and have the same guys go out on the ice every night. You can't win this way."

Notes & quotes:D Ty Wishart was recalled from Bridgeport . . . LW Trevor Gillies is eligible to return from his 10-game suspension Saturday against Philadelphia.