Gaborik's two goals not enough for Rangers in 4-2 loss to Capitals
Photo credit: Getty Images | Capitals' Matt Bradley scores the winning goal in the third period against the Rangers in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. (Nov. 17, 2009)
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Photos: Capitals 4, Rangers 2
You can't blame Marian Gaborik if he's outside Penn Station this morning wearing a "Help Wanted" sign.
The Slovak sniper, who came to the Rangers last summer after eight seasons as the top scorer on a defense-first Wild team, has become the Lone Ranger.
His 15 goals, including a pair last night in a punchless 4-2 loss to the Capitals at the Garden, puts him in a tie for the league lead. But the rest of the team has just 39 through 21 games, and after a brisk start have settled in barely above .500 at 11-9-1.
"We've got to capitalize and try to score on those hardworking, grinding plays," said Gaborik, earning every bit of his five-year, $37.5-million contract with at least a point in 17 of 19 games. "We didn't generate a lot of shots [16 without Gaborik's four for a season-low 20], that was a problem. We came back in the third, we had some good chances. We need to keep the puck down low more often."
Low and on the net, agreed head coach John Tortorella, who said that the power play, just 1-for-4, needed assistance. "Our biggest weakness is that we are not getting any secondary scoring . . . We're not going to be at 26, 27 percent [on the power play] all year," he said, adding that the players have watched video of how opponents have been defending them. "We need to get five-on-five goals from other people; we can't get one or two goals and expect to win."
What the club needs, he said, is "an even strength-goal by a second or third-line guy."
That's exactly what Matt Bradley provided for the Caps with 4:51 left in regulation. After Gaborik's second goal from a sharp angle to the right of goaltender Seymon Varlamov on a power play at 8:23 of the third tied it at 2, Bradley struck.
In a battle along the right boards at the Caps' blue line with Wade Redden, the puck bounced off Redden's raised glove and Bradley was off. Although defenseman Matt Gilroy hounded him, Bradley lifted a shot over the glove of Henrik Lundqvist, who appeared to go down early.
"It's amazing," Caps coach Bruce Boudreau said of Bradley. "He did this in Nashville. He got cut pretty good, came back, and was instrumental in us winning. He's got oodles of character."
Most of the Rangers showed character, if not effectiveness, in particular Sean Avery, who was his familiar pesky self and provided an assist. Chris Higgins added seven hits, four shots and was 7-for-13 on faceoffs.
The Rangers came out flying, and Gaborik sneaked behind defenseman Jeff Schultz and flicked in a rebound of Dan Girardi's point shot at 1:16.
Although aware of the dangers of spending time in the box against the potent Caps, the Rangers took four penalties and last year's MVP Alex Ovechkin - returning after missing 15 days with an upper-body injury, and Brooks Laich - each scored for a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, the Rangers mustered just 11 shots - a season low - in the first two periods. They didn't have a shot for a 19:20 stretch.
"I just couldn't come up with the big save there at the end," Lundqvist said, referring to Bradley's goal.
He can't shoulder all the blame. The Rangers couldn't even threaten Varlamov with an extra attacker as Brian Pothier knocked in an empty-netter.
