Staal was chosen for the first time to participate in the 2011 NHL All-Star Game in Raleigh, North Carolina. During the game, he enjoyed a rare opportunity to play on the same team as his brother Eric. Staal tied Kimmo Timonen of the Philadelphia Flyers for most shorthanded goals among defencemen, with two. On February 22, 2011, in a game against the Carolina Hurricanes, Staal was checked by his brother, Eric. Marc was looking down, fighting for the puck with another Hurricanes player, when Eric came and threw a hard shoulder check, and Marc was slow to get up. It was a legal check, and Marc played for the rest of the season, setting career highs with 22 assists and 29 points. However, it was revealed before the Rangers' 2011 training camp began that Staal was suffering from post-concussion symptoms. He did not play until January 2, 2012, in the 2012 NHL Winter Classic against the Philadelphia Flyers. He only played 46 games in 2011–12, struggling to get his timing back from the injury as he posted a career-worst −7 and only five points (two goals and three assists). He got better as the season went on, however, and helped the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference Finals. In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Washington Capitals, Staal scored a memorable overtime goal to give the Rangers a 3–2 win. After teammate Brad Richards had scored a rebound goal with 6.6 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime, Staal's powerplay slapshot from the point past Braden Holtby gave the Rangers a 3-2 win and a 3-2 series lead. Staal continued his strong play into the lock-out-shortened 2012–13, averaging over 0.5 points per game for the first time in his career with 11 points (2 goals, 9 assists) in his first 21 games. However, during a game against the Philadelphia Flyers, in New York, on March 5, 2013, Staal suffered a scary eye injury. A slap-shot by Flyers defenceman Kimmo Timonen was deflected by Flyer forward Jakub Voráček into Staal's right eye, sending him to the ice. After the game, it was concluded that Staal suffered a small retinal tear in his right eye and an orbital fracture. The injury effectively ended his season, as he only played in one game the rest of the year, in the first round of the playoffs, before pulling himself