Rangers appear to have dodged bullet on McDonagh injury

            Injured defenseman Ryan McDonagh was preparing to fly from Vancouver to Denver Wednesday with the Rangers, who wrap up a four-city Western trip on Thursday against the Avalanche. But how much the team’s best defenseman plays in the final five games of the regular season is unclear.

              McDonagh, who was wearing a sling on his left arm when leaving Rogers Arena in Vancouver in the aftermath of being drilled from behind by Alexandre Burrows into the end boards with 44 seconds to play in the Blueshirts’ 3-1 win, is expected to miss Thursday’s game.

              He dropped to his knees in pain, with his left arm tucked into his body, suggesting a shoulder problem, before skating off. But a team spokesman said Wednesday that it would be inaccurate to write that he would be out indefinitely.

              After coach Alain Vigneault told Newsday late Tuesday that  McDonagh would make today's flight  to Denver rather than head directly to New York,  the spokesman said the initial diagnosis was “not serious”---which indicates that no surgery is needed, so the club appeared to have dodged a bullet.

             The team, which is not practicing Wednesday, did not provide any specifics or updates on his condition, but management likely will give McDonagh, 24, a physical, speedy blueliner who averages a team-high 24:49 per game and has 14 goals and 43 points in 77 games, whatever time necessary to heal before the playoffs, which begin in two weeks.

              Therefore, John Moore, who has missed six games with concussion symptoms but has been practicing regularly, is expected to fill in for McDonagh. Expect to see Marc Staal join Dan Girardi on the first pair, with Moore on the second with Anton Stralman.

            The Rangers have 90 points, and the most points that 9th place Washington can gain is 93, meaning that the Blueshirts can secure a berth with any combination of three points gained by them or lost by the Capitals, who play Friday in New Jersey and on Saturday against the Islanders. The Rangers host the Senators on Saturday.