Gaborik’s return boosts Rangers

NEW YORK, NY – It may only be four games, but Marian Gaborik’s return to the New York Rangers line-up has clearly given the Blueshirts a much-needed boost. Through those four games the Rangers are 3-1, with a one-goal loss to the Boston Bruins last night the sole blemish on a strong run for the team. The Rangers have had to do without Gaborik (4 goals, 1 assist since returning) for the best part of a month after he was checked shoulder-first into the boards during a 4-3 defeat to Toronto on October 15^th. The Blueshirts young squad substituted skill for effort during Gaborik’s absence, scrapping their way to a respectable 10-8-1 after last nights mistake-laden defeat in New York. There’s a respectability about the way they’ve been playing, led by the likes of Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky and Marc Staal. Monday’s emotional comeback win in Pittsburgh was perhaps the high point for this very young team so far this season. Trailing 2-1 late in the third period after a pair of Pittsburgh goals led Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to shatter his stick across his goal-frame in frustration, the Blueshirts struck back in the dying minutes of regulation through Marc Staal and then won the game in overtime after a beautiful setup by Dubinsky saw Callahan tip-in past Marc-Andre Fleury for the victory. It was the kind of ending that the Rangers sides of years past may not have been able to salvage. You finally believe that this is a team that truly understands the essence of teamwork, of defending your goaltender and of scrapping for each and every loose puck. They’re only 19 games in, but the Rangers are getting by on hard work and determination. Last nights defeat to Boston, a game riddled with dreadful mistakes by Lundqvist, Dan Girardi and Matt Gilroy, is one the Blueshirts needn’t be so quick to forget. The Rangers carried the play for the majority of the contest and, save for three gift-wrapped, bow-tied goals, were only denied victory by another excellent performance from the B’s Tim Thomas. The Rangers went down 3-2, but effectively scored all five. That defeat snapped a three-game win streak for the team; victories over Buffalo, Edmonton and the aforementioned Pittsburgh all coming in the shadow of Gaborik’s return to the side. Artem Anisimov, continuing to have a strong sophomore year, staked the Blueshirts to a 3-2 win over Buffalo in overtime with a turnaround shot over Jhonas Enroth, whilst Gaborik did the bulk of the damage in a 3-goal, 4-point night against Edmonton on Sunday. Alex Frolov and Erik Christensen, unsurprisingly, had their strongest games of the year alongside Gaborik, notching four and three-point games respectively as the Rangers put eight past Nikolai Khabibulin. The Edmonton game – a matinee fixture on Madison Square Garden’s ‘kids day’ – was anything but a family-friendly affair. Sean Avery’s sucker-punch on Oilers’ defenseman Ladislav Smid midway through the third period ignited an everyman brawl that threatened to clear both benches. Brandon Prust paired off with Zack Stortini during the melee whilst Derek Boogaard and Steve MacIntyre dropped the gloves twice for a pair of heavyweight tilts. Avery, Prust, Dubinsky, Brian Boyle, Smid, Stortini, Theo Peckham and Colin Fraser were all handed game misconducts before Frolov, Ruslan Fedotenko and Gaborik scored three goals in two minutes to complete an 8-2 rout. Gaborik’s return has provided a little more structure to the Blueshirts lines as well. The trio of Dubinsky, Anisimov and Callahan remain intact on the second line, providing suitable secondary scoring in all scenarios. One issue that you feel needs to be addressed once and for all is that of first line centre. Erik Christensen continues to run hot and cold next to Gaborik on the top line, a position the Rangers should address by giving rookie Derek Stepan a longer look. Stepan, for the most part, has been buried down on the third and fourth lines so far this year but has had sporadic shifts between Gaborik and Frolov since the formers return. Stepan looks dangerous and has a natural eye for the play, whereas Christensen often seems lost and shot of any confidence. Christensen turned down a gaping open net in the opening minutes of last nights loss to Boston, choosing instead to pass back to a well-covered Gaborik. The Rangers lost the game and you couldn’t help but wonder. Elsewhere, Fedotenko, Boyle and Prust have been exceptional as a gritty third line unit, using their strength during long spells in the opposition end. Michael Sauer has been a calming presence in defense since being called up from Hartford, while Steve Eminger, erratic at first, has steadily improved with each passing game. Both are physical and have used their size accordingly. Martin Biron, signed as he was to offer respite to starting goaltender Henrik Lundqvist during busy periods in the schedule, has been excellent. Biron has a 3-2-0 record at the moment and saw consecutive starts last week owing toLundqvist’s illness. He has looked sharp, solid and most importantly has used his experience to fight through any stutters. Lundqvist’s back-ups (Steve Valiquette, Chad Johnson, Alex Auld) produced three victories last season, Biron already has three prior to the quarter-mark of this. At this point, everything seems to be reasonably rosy for the Rangers. They’re icing a young, competitive team with a work ethic that you simply cannot teach. There will be bumps in the road, of course, but those growing pains are to be expected from one of the leagues youngest teams. For now though, it’s hard to shake that burgeoning sense of pride about how the Blueshirts are going about their business. Contact the author – alex.nunn@prohockeynews.com Contact the photographer at Lewis.Bleiman@prohockeynews.com