McDonagh has missed four games since sustaining a concussion on February 6 upon being punched in the face by Philadelphia Flyers winger Wayne Simmonds.
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ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (37-18-5): With veteran Marian Hossa sidelined with a left leg injury, Patrick Kane showed his team wasn’t going to be the worse for wear offensively by recording a four-point performance for the third time this season. The 26-year-old admitted that he has been inspired by the play of the Rangers, who are 5-0-1 in their last six contests overall and 8-0-2 in the last 10 at Madison Square Garden to move into second place in the Metropolitan Division.
Derick Brassard scored his career-high 20th goal, firing a shot that ticked defenseman Duncan Keith’s stick and flew over goalie Corey Crawford’s glove on the first half of the power play just 24 seconds into the third period to tie the score at 2.
“There were a few chosen words said”, coach Alain Vigneault admitted in reference to the calls.
Dan Boyle’s goal 2:17 into the third period gave the Rangers a 3-2 lead but the Hawks got it back to even on an Andrew Shaw with 10:07 to go. We’ve got to get our penalty-kill straightened out.
The difference was not the power plays, but the fact the Rangers’ (32-19-6) continually struggling penalty kill couldn’t do anything to stop the Blackhawks (38-18-5) and their dynamic man-advantage.
The Rangers’ work rate was high, and Hayes’ third goal in four games narrowed Chicago’s lea to 2-1 heading to the third period. Brassard had tied the game at 2-all with his career-best 20th goal. Andrew Desjardins got it all started just three minutes into the game, and tapped home a handsome centering feed from Teuvo Teravainen. This time it was Panarin doing the honors, as he blasted a slap shot past a screened Henrik Lundqvist to put the Blackhawks ahead by two goals.
Iginla also had a power-play goal in the second period after having a goal waved off for goaltender interference.
Not only did the Rangers lose the goal, their deficit increased to 2-0 midway through the period when Kreider was called for holding in the offensive zone.
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While McDonagh returned, Rangers alternate captain Marc Staal was not in the lineup to be with his wife Lindsay as she gave birth to their second child, a daughter, Emily. Free- agent Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was at the game….
