Gilroy returns to face Rangers at Garden
Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Mathieu Garon (32) celebrates with defenseman Matt Gilroy (97) after defeating the New York Islanders 4-1 in an NHL hockey game. (Oct. 20, 2011) Credit: AP
Matt Gilroy's last playoff game, just a bit over a year ago, capped his Rangers career after two rather disappointing seasons. But the defenseman from North Bellmore didn't figure on being right back in New York for his next playoff game, this time with the Rangers as his opponent.
"It's exciting to be back home, and a little strange," Gilroy said after the Ottawa Senators finished their morning skate Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
Gilroy signed a one-year, $1- million deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning last summer. After 53 games with the underachieving Lightning, Gilroy was dealt to the Senators for Brian Lee on Feb. 27, the trade deadline. He finished with three goals and 17 assists in 67 total games.
To go from out of the playoffs to a solid playoff contender was good enough. Then the Senators dropped their final three games and fell into the No. 8 seed and a first-round series with the Rangers.
Gilroy, 27, never quite adopted the physical, aggressive style John Tortorella wants his defensemen to play. That never was Gilroy's game through his four years at Boston University, a successful run that made him one of the more attractive undrafted free agents in the summer of 2009.
Through his two seasons with the Rangers, he was a healthy scratch on more than a few occasions and didn't play major minutes when he did see action. As a free agent, he could have signed anywhere coming out of college. But he shook his head decisively Thursday when asked about regrets.
Gilroy most impressed Tortorella with his play in the five-game playoff loss to the Washington Capitals last April, so perhaps there's something to Gilroy's game in the postseason. He was a healthy scratch twice during the final week of the regular season for the Senators but was in the lineup Thursday night.
"It was a little short for us last year, but it's still good experience to have," Gilroy said of the five playoff games. "You feel a little more comfortable going in . . . This has been a pesky team all year that's proved a lot of people wrong. Hopefully we can do well in a tough building."
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