There are probably a lot of emotions flowing through the New York Rangers locker room right now, but one of the definite ones must be “relief.” Yet of all the players, Marian Gaborik might be the most grateful to wave goodbye to the pesky Ottawa Senators after a 2-1 Game 7 victory and 4-3 series win.
In seven games, Gaborik scored one goal and two assists for three points and a -1 rating. Those aren’t outright disastrous numbers, but for a guy who carries a $7.5 million cap hit - not to mention some of the most dazzling wheels and dangerous hands in the NHL - it’s worrisome. If the Rangers were booted tonight, he might have been fitted with the largest goat horns.
The most troubling part might not be his production. Instead, it might be the lack of assertiveness. After firing 276 shots on goal this season (about 3.37 per game), he averaged less than two shots per game in the first round (13 in seven contests). Shots on goal aren’t meant to be a Bible of confidence, yet it provides a window into a sniper’s soul more often than not.
So, the question is: can he get it together?
Looking at his split stats against the Capitals from the regular season, it doesn’t seem like a guarantee. He only managed a single goal and zero assists in four contests against Washington in 2010-11.
Much like the first seven games of the playoffs, that’s a small sample size, though. Gaborik knows as much as anyone that puck luck can be at its cruelest in the postseason. He’ll get a clean slate just like everyone else when that semifinals series starts and if he runs with it, the Rangers will be that much tougher to beat.
Do you think he’ll do it, though?
