A year ago, the New York Rangers got a first-hand look at what a healthy Marian Gaborik was capable of.
Having just returned from injury, Gaborik scored five goals against them as a member of the Minnesota Wild.
The performance was instrumental in the Rangers opening the vault to sign the talented winger, despite his injury-prone reputation.
"We had a pretty good appreciation for him before we signed him," said Rangers assistant coach Jim Schoenfeld. "He played his first game after being out for a long period of time against us and it looked like men against boys on some of his shifts.
"We kind of knew what we were getting, but when you see what he does, the subtle things and just how he gets open -- it's something that a lot of wannabe offensive-type players take for granted. There's a knack for finding open ice at the right time. He sees the game as well as anybody I've ever coached."
Heading into last night's contest against the Oilers, Gaborik, 27, led the Rangers with 11 goals and eight assists in 14 games.
As Gaborik goes, so does the Rangers offence, evident by their struggles offensively when the native of Trencin, Slovakia, was out of the lineup for a pair of games.
"The one thing that you have here, it's almost cliche, but you want your better players to make your other players on the ice better and he does that," Schoenfeld said. "When he's on the ice, we're a much more dangerous team offensively."
Originally the Wild's first pick -- third overall -- in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, Gaborik spent eight seasons playing in Minnesota under Jacques Lemaire's strict defensive-based system. With the Rangers, the one-time 42-goal scorer has a bit more leeway offensively.
"It's a different system, definitely," he said. "I still have to do my things defensively, but it's a different system, it's more of an attacking system with more skating.
"The East is a little different than the West in how teams play, but I like it. Things are good, it's totally different than Minnesota. I'm really enjoying the team, the organization and the city. It's a lot of fun playing for an Original Six team and I really like it here."
A year ago, a hip injury limited Gaborik to just 17 games with the Wild. Throughout his career, he's had to battle through several ailments.
However, despite having to take a couple of maintenance days last week, he feels healthy. And he has flourished on a line with Vinny Prospal.
"It's fun playing with Vinny -- we've known each other for a long time and he's a great playmaker," Gaborik said. "He always sees the ice really well and tries to find guys. His work ethic is also unbelievable. He comes in every night and shows up to work every night, which is huge for us."
DEREK.VANDIEST@SUNMEDIA.CA
