Gaborik leads way as Rangers erupt for eight goals

2010-11 Game No. 17; Home Game No. 10		Rangers' Record: 9-7-1
VIDEO: HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME
• Full Highlights | Tortorella Postgame		• Melrose Credit Union Save of the Game

GAME RECAP By Jim Cerny, newyorkrangers.com It was a sequence that easily could have proven to be the Rangers’ undoing in their Sunday afternoon matinee against the Edmonton Oilers at Madison Square Garden. In a span of just 28 seconds early in the second period, a 1-0 Rangers lead dissipated into a 2-1 deficit and the young visiting squad was clearly buoyed by their goal splurge against their hosts. Instead of caving in, the Rangers grew strong, scored a pair of goals in rapid succession themselves, and rode a four-goal second period to an 8-2 victory over the Oilers in the finale of their four-game homestand. “It was huge how we reacted to that,” said Marian Gaborik, who scored three times and added an assist for a four-point outing in just his second game back from a 12-game injury-related absence. “We scored a couple of big goals and then just rolled from there. But we have to be careful about these breakdowns.” It was Gaborik who provided the Rangers a 1-0 lead just 1:35 into the game, scoring off a sensational one-man effort. Behind a fairly strong first period, the Rangers carried that lead into the second when their moment of truth on this afternoon arrived. Edmonton pulled even at 2:45 of the second when a wide-open Ryan Jones hammered a rebound past Martin Biron and into the back of the cage. Only 28 seconds later Biron was handcuffed on a seemingly-routine right-wing shot by Shawn Horcoff, and again the puck found the back of the net, putting the Rangers in a quick and surprising 2-1 hole. At that moment, the game could have gone distinctly one way or another for the Rangers. But without a trace of panic, the Rangers regained control with their aggressive forecheck and strong  ... • READ THE FULL STORY | PHOTO GALLERY

PHOTO OF THE GAME STAT OF THE GAME Marian Gaborik became the second Ranger to get a hat trick this season. In the season-opener, Derek Stepan also had one. Now, only 17 games into the 2010-11 schedule, two different Rangers have recorded hat tricks. That's the earliest two hat tricks in one season since Brian Mullen and Tony Granato had hat tricks in the first 11 games of the 1988-89 season. THREE STARS (selected by the local media) 1. M. Gaborik 2. Alex Frolov 3. Christensen

---

THE BIGGER PICTURE While Edmonton wasn't the toughest opponent the Rangers will face, the Blueshirts' ability to bury the Oilers with such emphasis after going down 2-1 spoke volumes about what the team can achieve with the level of fight it showed against the Oilers.

RANGERS LEADERS Time on Ice -- Staal (26:18) Shots -- Frolov, Anisimov (5) Hits -- Staal (7) Blocked Shots -- Eminger (4) Takeaways -- Girardi (4) Faceoffs Taken -- Anisimov (13)

NEW YORK RANGERS LINEUP VS. EDMONTON
FORWARD LINES
Left Wing	Center	Right Wing
Brandon Dubinsky	Artem Anisimov	Ryan Callahan
Alex Frolov	Erik Christensen	Marian Gaborik
Brandon Prust	Brian Boyle	Ruslan Fedotenko
Derek Boogaard	Derek Stepan	Sean Avery

DEFENSE PAIRINGS
Left Defense	Right Defense
Marc Staal	Dan Girardi
Michael Del Zotto	Steve Eminger
Matt Gilroy	Michael Sauer
Goaltenders: Martin Biron, Henrik Lundqvist Starting Lineup: Biron, Staal, Girardi, Dubinsky, Anisimov, Callahan.

POWER PLAY UNITS
FORWARD LINES
Left Wing	Center	Right Wing
Ryan Callahan	Brandon Dubinsky	Marian Gaborik
Avery/Fedotenko	Derek Stepan	Christensen/Anisimov

POINT MEN
Left Point	Right Point
Dan Girardi	Michael Del Zotto
Marc Staal	Matt Gilroy

PENALTY KILLING UNITS
FORWARD UNITS
Forward	Forward
Ryan Callahan	Brandon Dubinsky
Brandon Prust	Brian Boyle
Ruslan Fedotenko	Anisimov/Stepan

DEFENSE PAIRINGS
Left Defense	Right Defense
Marc Staal	Dan Girardi
Michael Del Zotto	Sauer/Eminger