Yes, you just read that correctly. No, it's not what you think.
While reading Newsday yesterday—yes, newspapers still exist and people still read them—I came across an interesting stat: The Rangers scored 16 goals in Gaborik's four-game absence, and only one during the two since his return.
Now I'm not saying that Gaborik is to blame because he's not putting the puck in the net. What I think is happening is that the players surrounding him are so accustomed to him scoring that they are playing with less assertiveness in the offensive zone.
Besides his freak injury in practice with the leg laceration, and the time he missed with a lower-body injury following the Olympics, Gaborik has had a pretty healthy first year in New York.
He's pretty much been producing the way we all knew he could, with a dry spell here and there. There's no way to say that he's not holding up his end of the bargain.
While Gaborik was on the shelf, nine different Rangers helped pitch in for those 16 goals. Chris Drury, Sean Avery, Ryan Callahan, Vinny Prospal, and Erik Christensen all scored two goals, while Brandon Dubinsky netted three ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Frank Castaldi
Is Marian Gaborik To Blame for the New York Rangers’ Scoring Problems?
March 9th, 2010 by Frank Castaldi Leave a reply »
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