Staal shakes off rust in right-side cameo

SAINT PAUL, Minn. — So there was Marc Staal paired with Ryan McDonagh for the seventh straight game, but wait ... Staal on the right side?

When, he was asked following the Rangers’ 3-2 victory over the Wild on Saturday, did he last play an entire game on his off-side.

“Uh ... 25 years ago?” the 30-year-old, 10-year veteran replied. “I couldn’t really tell you.”

Staal, who played a strong 21:06, said he had no advance notice of the switch.

“AV just put it upon the board,” Staal said, referring to coach Alain Vigneault. “He didn’t ask me before and he didn’t tell me why. I just went out and played.

“It took a few shifts for me to settle in, it’s a little bit different in the neutral zone and on the [penalty kill], but you kind of get a better look at the whole ice and when you’re coming around your net you’re on your forehand more. Also at the offensive blue line. I thought it went OK.”

Henrik Lundqvist originally may have set the California trip that commences with next Saturday’s match in Los Angeles as his target for a return from the hip injury that has sidelined him since March 7, but the King might indeed be back before the club heads west.

“My feedback is that Hank skated [at the club’s Tarrytown practice rink] today for 40 minutes and took shots,” Vigneault said of the netminder, who worked with goaltending coach Benoit Allaire. Vigneault ruled out Dan Girardi for a Tuesday return. The defenseman, who has missed 10 straight tending to and rehabbing the right ankle wound he sustained blocking a shot on Feb. 7, did not skate Saturday on what was a scheduled day off.

Kevin Klein, who last played on Feb. 21 and has missed 13 games with a lower back issue, did skate at the practice rink and, according to the coach, “felt good.”