UNIONDALE, NY -- New York Rangers sniper Marian Gaborik will miss Wednesday night's game against the Islanders. Gaborik suffered what appeared to be a leg injury in the third period of New York's win over Phoenix on Monday at Madison Square Garden.
"He won't be playing tonight," Rangers coach John Tortorella said after Wednesday's morning skate at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. "I'm not going to get into what he has."
NEW YORK -- With each goal Marian Gaborik scores, with each goal he sets up -- two goals and one assist Monday in the Rangers' 5-2 win over Phoenix -- it's impossible to not think about the most startling trade of the offseason.
The deal that had nothing to do with Gaborik, yet everything to do with the Rangers signing Gaborik.
NEW YORK -- With one play in the first period Monday night, Marian Gaborik showed New York the magnificence he's capable of when healthy.
Making his Rangers debut in a 4-2 win over Detroit at Madison Square Garden, Gaborik dazzled with a virtuoso piece of playmaking that led to a power play goal nine minutes into the game. Protecting the puck from Detroit defenseman Brad Stuart over two trips in one sequence behind the Red Wings goal, he backhanded a cross-ice pass to a wide-open Enver Lisin to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead.
Perhaps more important than the highlight-reel assist was Gaborik getting bounced around in his very first shift in his Rangers debut -- and surviving it. "He got knocked on his butt," said coach John Tortorella. "It woke me up," said Gaborik, who admitted to being nervous before the game.
FanHouse begins its four-part preview of the upcoming NHL season. Check back every Thursday from now until opening night for the rest.
The calendar has flipped past Labor Day in the States, and that means the start of the NHL's regular season is fast approaching. We're going to take one last look back at the summer and discuss the best and worst moves -- in some cases, non-moves -- of the offseason. Who took a step in the right direction and who took a step back?
Depending on who you ask, Donald Brashear's introduction to Rangers fans was either a success after a rocky beginning, or simply the beginning of what will be a rocky relationship. At a season ticket holders meet-and-greet on Wednesday night, an event that featured Brashear, Chris Higgins, Chris Drury, Ales Kotalik and Marian Gaborik, the Rangers' new enforcer was greeted with a smattering of boos according to Michael Obernauer of the Daily News, which prompted him to -- jokingly -- challenge anyone in the crowd who was booing him.
The reaction from the fans isn't really surprising given the run-in Brashear, then playing for the Capitals, had with former Rangers forward Blair Betts during the Stanley Cup playoffs in a series that saw Washington overcome a 3-1 deficit.
Let's just state the obvious: playoff teams score more goals than their opponents over the course of a season, and typically the difference is significant. If we go back to the 1999-2000 season, there have been 144 playoff teams in the NHL, and of those teams, 134 finished the regular season with a positive goal differential (more goals for than against). Ninety-one finished with a differential greater than plus-20, and only two of the 10 exceptions finished with a differential worse than minus-10.
What does that mean for last year's non-playoff teams? Let's take a look.
Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our daily look at the previous night's action. During the offseason, it's our link dump that looks at some of the storylines and moves taking place around the league three times per week. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.
"As Of Now, Nobody Is Our Captain"
Those are the words of San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan, via David Pollack of the Mercury News. After another early playoff exit this past season, a first-round loss to the No. 8 seed Anaheim Ducks, McLellan has decided to rattle a few cages in the leadership department and will wait to see who steps forward during training camp before naming a new captain. That, of course, means Patrick Marleau no longer owns the C. The 29-year-old Marleau has spent all 11 years of his career in San Jose, amassing 276 goals, and has been the team's captain since January, 2004.
Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our daily look at the previous night's action. During the offseason, it's our link dump that looks at some of the storylines and moves taking place around the league three times per week. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.
Satan Interested In Return To Islanders
There's still a few intriguing options on the free agent market -- Alex Tanguay probably being the best -- including former Oilers, Sabres, Islanders and Penguins winger Miroslav Satan. After splitting the 2008-09 season between the NHL and AHL, the 34-year-old is still interested in a possible return to Long Island, and according Newsday's Katie Strang, he skated at the team's practice facility on Wednesday.
FanHouse's Adam Gretz takes a look at his top 50 players in the NHL. No. 33 is New York Rangers forward Marian Gaborik.
You can't blame the New York Rangers for having an interest in free agent forward Marian Gaborik this offseason. A team that was lacking the offensive firepower it never replaced when Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shanahan and Martin Straka left the Big Apple a year ago, the Rangers signed Gaborik to a five-year, $37.5 million contract on July 2, 2009. It's a couple of big numbers for a guy that has quite a lengthy track record of injuries.
We know Gaborik can play, but how much will he play? That's the question that will determine whether this signing will be remembered as a turning point for the Rangers franchise, or simply another mistake in a long line of free agency futility.
UNIONDALE, NY -- New York Rangers sniper Marian Gaborik will miss Wednesday night's game against the Islanders. Gaborik suffered what appeared to be a leg injury in the third period of New York's win over Phoenix on Monday at Madison Square Garden.
NEW YORK -- With one play in the first period Monday night, Marian Gaborik showed New York the magnificence he's capable of when healthy.
Depending on who you ask, Donald Brashear's introduction to Rangers fans was either a success after a rocky beginning, or simply the beginning of what will be a rocky relationship. At a season ticket holders meet-and-greet on Wednesday night, an event that featured Brashear, Chris Higgins, Chris Drury, Ales Kotalik and Marian Gaborik, the Rangers' new enforcer was greeted with a smattering of boos according to Michael Obernauer of the Daily News, which prompted him to -- jokingly -- challenge anyone in the crowd who was booing him. 
Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our daily look at the previous night's action. During the offseason, it's our link dump that looks at some of the storylines and moves taking place around the league three times per week. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.
Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our daily look at the previous night's action. During the offseason, it's our link dump that looks at some of the storylines and moves taking place around the league three times per week. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.
FanHouse's Adam Gretz takes a look at his top 50 players in the NHL. No. 33 is New York Rangers forward Marian Gaborik. 
