NHL

Rookie McDonagh nets game-winner for Rangers

The Canadiens included Ryan McDonagh’s rights in the Scott Gomez trade two years ago because the Montreal hierarchy didn’t believe the defenseman the Habs had taken in the first round of the 2007 Entry Draft had enough of an offensive upside.

The Rangers rookie, who has been a revelation in his own end since his Jan. 7 NHL debut, sure had enough of an offensive upside yesterday. He took a feed from Vinny Prospal and roofed a right circle wrist shot over Martin Brodeur’s left shoulder at 11:59 of the second period for a 3-2 lead and in his first NHL goal in the Blueshirts’ 5-2 victory over the Devils in their must-win season finale.

“It makes it sweeter that we got the win for sure,” McDonagh said. “I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, when it was going to come.

“It’s great that it turned out to be a game-winner and helped the guys out,” he said “It was a lot of fun.”

McDonagh’s goal was the second in three games scored at even-strength by a Rangers’ defensemen following his partner Michael Sauer’s game-winner late in the third period against the Bruins on Monday. Blueshirt defensemen had scored just three even-strength goals in the previous 40 games and finished with 11 on the season.

“Vinny was behind the net with his head up just like he’s been doing his whole career,” said the 21-year-old freshman, who snapped his shot from the dot. “I just wanted to make sure my shot wasn’t blocked.

“Then I heard the crowd,” he said. “It was awesome.”

McDonagh finished a plus-16 in 40 games, second on the club to Sauer’s plus-20 over 81 contests. The tandem was plus-two yesterday.

“We’re both young guys in the league and strong on our skates and like to take care of our own end,” McDonagh said. “We both know we can get involved in the offensive zone and if we get pucks through, things can happen.

“We really jelled well together,” he said. “We are always talking out there. When bumps happen, we get over it quick. That’s what I like best about us.”

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Chris Drury‘s return coupled with Mats Zuccarello‘s insertion in the lineup following his recall from the AHL Whale bumped Sean Avery out of the lineup as a healthy scratch. Steve Eminger was scratched in favor of Matt Gilroy on defense.

Zuccarello played six shifts for 3:16 but did not get off the bench in the third. Neither did Erik Christensen, who finished with 4:22 on six shifts. Drury, who opened between Zuccarello and Christensen, shifted to left wing with Brian Boyle and Brandon Prust for much of the third, supplanting Wojtek Wolski, who had gotten the Rangers even at 2-2 early in the second by beating Martin Brodeur from the left side to end a 17-game drought.

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Henrik Lundqvist completed season with 67 starts including the final 26 straight. The King, who leads the league with 11 shutouts, recorded a 2.10 goals against average, a .930 save percentage and three shutouts in the last 16 games.

“I can’t decide whether I’m going to watch [Carolina-Tampa Bay] or not,” the goaltender said of the Saturday night game that would determine the Rangers’ playoff fate. “It’s going to be painful, probably.

“You work so hard for so long, to miss it is going to hurt pretty badly,” he said. “You put in so many hours and a lot of hard work from everybody to reach our goal, to make the playoffs.

“Let’s see if we come up short again.”