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Battered defense: Rangers’ Staal, McDonagh, Girardi, Yandle all played injured

New York Rangers v Tampa Bay Lightning - Game Four

Dan Girardi

Getty Images

The New York Rangers defense was anything but healthy by the time Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final rolled around. While injury information is a closely guarded secret during the playoffs, now that the Rangers’ run is over, the team is willing to open up about what they were battling through.

Marc Staal played in all 19 postseason games despite suffering a hairline fracture in his ankle near the end of the regular season. He logged 20:40 minutes per game in the playoffs, but finished with just one assist and a team-worst minus-eight rating, per the Bergen Record.

Ryan McDonagh also played with a fractured bone as he injured his right foot during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. He logged 17:33 minutes in the final contest of that series.

Blueliners Dan Girardi and Keith Yandle suffered a grade 1 MCL and a shoulder sprain respectively. Girardi was injured in Game 4 versus the Lightning, but Yandle’s been hurt since Game 2 of the first round.

Yandle led all Rangers defensemen with 11 points in 19 contests. He also posted a plus-seven rating and averaged 18:00 minutes. Girardi finished second on the team in ice time with an average of 21:37 minutes per game.

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