New York Rangers All-Star Game Moments: Gaborik wins All-Star MVP
Gaborik’s four-point night earns him MVP honors
From the vibe around the web, and even from just the eye test, the past couple All-Star games have just not been as good as they used to be. There could be plenty of logical explanations for why this is. It could be that since we are in an internet and technology age now where we can stream any NHL game throughout the year that we please, the players that we never used to see because they played in another conference can be seen from anywhere. Maybe it’s the whole disastrous John Scott situation that is giving some fans cause for pause.
More from History
- Jacque Plante Trade Tree Between the Rangers and Canadiens
- Jean Ratelle Trade Tree Between the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins
- The Hilarious Tale Of the Mike Richter Trade Tree With Edmonton
- Mark Savard’s Trade Tree With the Calgary Flames in 1999
- Mark Messier’s Trade Tree Between the New York Rangers and Edmonton Oilers
Maybe it has do with getting older. When I was a little kid, I couldn’t wait for the All-Star game. Maybe as we get older, the nostalgia that the game presents starts to wear off and fade away. With the All-Star festivities going on in Nashville this weekend, I thought it might be appropriate for us to sit back and remember one of the classic All-Star Games in Rangers history so that maybe, just maybe, we can get in the All-Star Game spirit again.
Yesterday was exactly 4 years to the day where Marian Gaborik– who was still with the Rangers at the time– won the All-Star game MVP in Ottawa with a 3 goal, 4 point performance, which included two goals against his then teammate and still Rangers goalie Henrik Lundvist.
It all started at the now extinct NHL All-Star Draft, where Henrik Lundqvist was an assistant captain on Team Alfredsson. Gaborik was having a great season at this point for the Rangers. At the break, Gaborik had already scored 25 of his 41 goals and 39 of his 76 that he would eventually accumulate at season’s end. Somehow, Gaborik dropped to pick number 31 of 38 to team Chara after continuely being passed over. Team Alfredsson even had taken another Ranger over the team’s two time 40 goal scorer. That player was Dan Girardi (20th overall).
Lundqvist and Gaborik went back in forth with trash talk all weekend long—which of course was all in good clean fun. Gaborik ultimately had the last laugh after scoring two goals against Hank, and then proceeding to do the Anisimov shotgun celebration towards his teammate.
In the postgame, Gaborik had told reporters that he already knew he was going to do that timeless celly if he scored on Hank. “I was thinking about it before the game, if I scored on Henrik I wouldn’t do it any other way, but I wanted to do it against Henrik to get a celebration there. So I don’t think he was too happy about that.” Gaborik added “I think he’s one of the best, if not the best, goalie in the league, but I am glad I could get a couple of goals against him.”
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Lundqvist admitted in the postgame that Gaborik had indeed had his number over the course of their careers. “Obviously, he has a lot of leverage from all the games we’ve had against each other, it’s not that many but he has had some big success in the past, so it was easier for him to start it. Hopefully he stays in New York for a long time so I don’t have to face him in a game.” We all know that wouldn’t be the case though, as Gaborik was traded a little over a year later to the Blue Jackets in a package that brought Derick Brassard, Derrek Dorsett and John Moore over to New York.
This game wasn’t that long ago. For whatever reason though, in a long line of dull All-Star games in the past few years, this one was a great one and instant classic, especially for Rangers fans. Going into tonight’s All-Star Game, I am interested in seeing how this new format plays out. The Rangers have one All-Star in the game, first year All-Star Ryan McDonagh. I’m excited to see how he does in this three on three tournament platform. I don’t know if he or anybody in this game, which has notoriously lacked a competitive edge, can make this a classic for fans like Gaborik did for our fan base, but one could dream right?