Injuries to Ryan McDonagh and Kevin Klein force Rangers to call on defensive reinforcements

The Rangers' banged-up defense carousel keeps spinning.

With Ryan McDonagh's left shoulder separation expected to sideline him for three to four weeks and Kevin Klein on crutches with a bruised foot, four regular defensemen are out with injuries or are suspended, so the front office turned to the AHL for reinforcements.

Conor Allen and Dylan McIlrath, who were held out of the Wolf Pack's game Sunday, were called up and will dress against the Blues at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.

Allen played three NHL games last season and was 2-3-5 and minus-1 in eight games for Hartford this season. McIlrath, the team's first-round draft pick in 2010, played two games for the Rangers last season. He is pointless in eight games and has 21 penalty minutes for Hartford this season. They will join Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Matt Hunwick and Michael Kostka in a patchwork defense corps.

John Moore will serve the second game of his five-game suspension Monday night and Dan Boyle, who broke his right hand in the season opener Oct. 9 and cautiously took shots and passes with teammates for the first time Sunday, is more than a week away. So unless Klein returns, this group also will play against the Red Wings on Wednesday night.

McDonagh, the Rangers' captain and best all-around blue liner, was placed on long-term injured reserve, coach Alain Vigneault said. His injury occurred midway through the first period Saturday night when he was driven into the end boards by Winnipeg's Evander Kane. Klein was struck by Jacob Trouba's shot 38 seconds into the Rangers' 1-0 shootout loss and will be re-examined Monday.

To clear enough cap space for Allen and McIlrath's salaries and bonuses, forward Ryan Malone, who was signed to a one-year, two-way contract Sept. 11, was placed on waivers. Malone, who turns 35 Dec. 1, had no points in five games.

Malone, who called himself "the odd man out," is unsure whether he will report to Hartford if he clears waivers. His AHL salary would drop to $100,000.

"This is a first for me," said the former Penguins and Lightning winger, who was given a chance to make the Rangers after he was bought out by Tampa Bay after an April DWI arrest.

Malone acknowledged that rookies Kevin Hayes and Anthony Duclair have played well and knew coming into the season that he would face competition to stay on the roster.

Center Derek Stepan, who has sat out the last 10 games on long-term injured reserve with a broken fibula, also will not dress for Monday night's game although he is eligible to play. He skated in Sunday's optional practice with a non-contact jersey and said he is improving but did not declare that he will be ready to play Wednesday night.

The other change is in goal. Henrik Lundqvist will get a rest Monday night after starting nine of 10 games. Cam Talbot (0-1-0, 2.89 GAA, .886 save percentage) will make his second start and third appearance for the Rangers (5-4-1).