The Effect of Marian Gaborik

Before we begin, to all you English buffs, please clarify if the proper word to use here is affect or effect. I can never figure out which one to use. And yet, I’m not alone in this, as no one in the vicinity of my desk could figure it out either.

Anyway, let’s analyze one play from last night. Marian Gaborik picks up the puck around the left hash marks, skates with the bicuit up to the blueline, then doubles back, around the net to the right hash marks, while drawing the attention of pretty much all 20 Red Wings, and takes a quick glance to see Enver Lisin camped in front of the net. He then lasers a back-handed saucer pass right on Lisin’s tape who buries the opportunity. Not many players in the league are capable of pulling that off, and that is the effect (affect?) Marian Gaborik will have on the Rangers.

This one play illustrates the offensive potential of the Rangers, should Gaborik not rip his groin in half (that actually hurt to type, groin and rip should not be put in the same sentence, ever). Both benches, and the entire crowd was on the edge of their seats, waiting to see what Gaborik will do with the puck after eluding the entire Wings penalty kill unit. He doesn’t need a playmaking pivot to get him the puck, all he needs is to find the puck, he will make it all happen on his own.

Gaborik is the type of player the Rangers have been lacking since Jaromir Jagr left for Russia. Gaborik, like Jagr, can take control of the game, and doesn’t depend on line mates to get him the puck to do so. All those critics are right to question his health, but if he’s healthy, the Rangers will be a dangerous team. Gaborik alone can provide the primary scoring for the Rangers. Then you look at the likes of Chris Drury, Vinny Prospal, Ryan Callahan, Ales Kotalik, and Brandon Dubinsky, the Rangers have plenty of secondary scoring to compete.

If Gaborik stay healthy, the Rangers will surprise a lot of people. IF.