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Vigneault: McDonagh was playing with a broken foot

New York Rangers v Tampa Bay Lightning - Game Three

TAMPA, FL - MAY 20: Ondrej Palat #18 of the Tampa Bay Lightning falls to the ice after getting checked by Ryan McDonagh #27 of the New York Rangers during Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2015 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on May 20, 2015 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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New York Rangers’ captain and defenseman Ryan McDonagh was playing with a broken foot “for a couple of games,” said head coach Alain Vigneault, as per the Rangers’ Twitter account.

There was a mysterious beginning to the game for the Rangers and McDonagh, who left the bench and went to the locker room before he had even played a shift on Friday. He eventually returned to the bench and began taking more regular shifts in the second period.

“The freezing hadn’t kicked in, so we weren’t sure if he was going to be able to play,” Vigneault told reporters.

“So, at that time we made the decision to go with seven (defensemen). He went back in right at the start of the first period, and it kicked in a little bit. But he played through a lot of pain.”

While their captain returned to action, the Rangers couldn’t conjure much of an offensive push in a 2-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final.

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