Any Way You Slice It, Bad News For The Blueshirts

In hockey terms, this injury is like Babe Ruth hitting Lou Gehrig with a line drive in BP or Derek Jeter spiking Mariano Rivera during a fielding drill. If I'm Rangers GM Glen Sather, I push Gaborik RIGHT NOW not to play in the Olympics. His loyalty (not to mention his paycheck) SHOULD be to the Blueshirts. But because the NHL puts a premium on the exposure that comes with the Games, Gaborik, like Lundqvist, will play for their native lands at Vancouver.

Heaven help the Rangers if Gaborik doesn't heal in the strnuous 2 weeks in Canada, or the injury gets worse. THe Blueshirts are already fading in their race to make the playoffs. They'll need Gaborik healthy to have any chance this time around. If they don't reach the postseason, the Rangers should boot Sather out the door. But that's another blog for another day

Things have probably been a little awkward around the Rangers the last few days. Tuesday, Marian Gaborik, the team's lone sharpshooter was accidentally cut on the right leg by goalie Henrik Lundqvist in a collision during practice. King Henrik caused about 20 stitches to Gaborik with his skate. This could be a disaster the Rangers DON'T need.

When it first happened, Lundqvist didn't think it was a big deal-till he saw the blood pouring out of Gaborik's leg. Gaborik missed Tuesday night's game and would like to play the two games prior to the Olympic break.

In hockey terms, this injury is like Babe Ruth hitting Lou Gehrig with a line drive in BP or Derek Jeter spiking Mariano Rivera during a fielding drill. If I'm Rangers GM Glen Sather, I push Gaborik RIGHT NOW not to play in the Olympics. His loyalty (not to mention his paycheck) SHOULD be to the Blueshirts. But because the NHL puts a premium on the exposure that comes with the Games, Gaborik, like Lundqvist, will play for their native lands at Vancouver.

Heaven help the Rangers if Gaborik doesn't heal in the strnuous 2 weeks in Canada, or the injury gets worse. THe Blueshirts are already fading in their race to make the playoffs. They'll need Gaborik healthy to have any chance this time around. If they don't reach the postseason, the Rangers should boot Sather out the door. But that's another blog for another day.

Listen to coach John Tortorella & Gaborik talk about the injury on our video board.

John Tortorella
 

Marian Gaborik