DENVER — By definition, any injury to Ryan McDonagh would be a serious blow to the Rangers and their Stanley Cup aspirations.
But the Blueshirts’ invaluable 24-year-old defenseman appears to have escaped serious damage in the wake of having his left shoulder plowed into the boards by the Canucks’ Alexandre Burrows in the final minute of Tuesday’s 3-1 victory over the Canucks in Vancouver.
And all of the Rangers are breathing a little bit easier.
McDonagh, who received extended treatment in the locker room before leaving the arena with his left arm in a sling approximately an hour after the match had ended, accompanied the Rangers on their Wednesday afternoon charter flight here, rather than home to New York. The Blueshirts, who conclude their four-game trip here on Thursday, did not practice on Wednesday.
The Post has been told the seemingly indestructible defenseman, who has played in 246 of 248 games since joining the Rangers midway through the 2010-11 season, did not suffer structural damage — nor either a separation or dislocation — as a result of the hit that came from the blindside with 43.8 seconds remaining and McDonagh vulnerable after first being ridden against the back wall from the left side by Zack Kassian.
Burrows, who caught McDonagh across the side of the face with his elbow, was assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct.
McDonagh, who crumpled in pain and remained on the ice for approximately 30 seconds before skating to the locker room under his own power, will be sidelined indefinitely. It is unclear whether he will miss any time in the playoffs that would begin in two weeks, either April 16 or 17.
The Rangers, 7-1 in their last eight matches, have a magic number of three points to clinch a tournament berth with five games remaining in the season. The Blueshirts play the Senators, Hurricanes and Sabres at the Garden on Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, before the Apr. 12 finale in Montreal.
Marc Staal will move up from the second pair to take McDonagh’s spot on the left side of the first pair with erstwhile partner Dan Girardi. John Moore, who has missed the last six games recovering from the concussion he sustained on Mar. 21 in Columbus, will rejoin the lineup and likely will skate on the second pair with Anton Stralman. Kevin Klein and Raphael Diaz should remain intact as the third tandem on defense.
McDonagh, an emerging Norris Trophy contender who had a breakout Olympics for Team USA, pretty much does it all for the Blueshirts. He leads the team in ice time at 24:49 per while playing with Girardi on the matchup pair against the opposition’s top line; mans the point on the first power-play unit; and is on the first penalty-kill team.
The fourth-year pro out of Wisconsin—only four years in the league, yet plays as if he’s been around for decades—has developed into an offensive force under coach Alain Vigneault’s more liberating game plan, using his superior skating ability to lead the rush and join the attack in the offensive zone. His shot is becoming a weapon.
McDonagh has 43 points (14-29), with his 14 goals tied for fifth in the NHL among defensemen. Brian Leetch is the only Rangers’ defenseman to have scored more goals in a season since 1986-87. McDonagh leads New York defensemen with a plus-11 rating.
The Rangers had been remarkably healthy through the guts of the season after overcoming first-half injuries that sidelined Staal, Rick Nash, Ryan Callahan and Carl Hagelin.
But Chris Kreider is down for the remainder of the regular season and likely at least the first round of the playoffs in the aftermath of surgery to correct a left-hand injury he suffered in Columbus on Mar. 21, thus creating a significant void on the first line that has had a trickle effect throughout the lineup.
And now down goes McDonagh, the player other than Henrik Lundqvist the Blueshirts can least afford to lose for an extended period of time.