OTTAWA — The conversation a long time coming took place on foreign soil yesterday on the ice at Carleton University outside of Ottawa, and lasted about 12 minutes, with animated hand gestures, heads bent and crooked, and shrugs of shoulders and arms.
After it was over, neither of its participants would discuss what was said, but one doesn’t have to stretch too far to figure out the topic of discussion between Rangers coach John Tortorella and his slumping and distant star winger, Marian Gaborik.
“I’ll have no discussions regarding the discussion I have with my players,” said Tortorella, whose team continues to struggle with consistency and scoring, in lockstep with the punchless Gaborik, going into tonight’s game against the Canadiens in Montreal after a 3-0 loss to the Senators in Ottawa on Thursday.
“This is not one particular player,” Tortorella said. “Offensively, it is not just Gabby, it is not one particular player. You win as a team, you lose as a team. For us to be consistent, it becomes a club situation, not one particular situation.”
Here was the clear situation during the practice: Gaborik, he of the $7.5 million per-year contract, he who led the team with 41 goals last regular season, he who has been one of the most electric scorers in the NHL since joining the Rangers in 2009 — skating on a distinctive fourth line with recent call-up Kris Newbury and ineffective flank Taylor Pyatt.
“It is what it is,” Gaborik said. “Whatever line I’m on, I have to try and make a difference.”
Gaborik has very rarely made a difference through the first 33 games, scoring nine goals in six games, just two in the past 20. The Rangers hold on to eighth place in the conference by virtue of having one game in hand over the Islanders — both with 35 points — and six of the Blueshjrts’ next seven games are against teams ranked in the conference’s top six.
“It’s been a frustrating time, of course,” Gaborik, 31, said. “I want to contribute, I want to do better. I have to put frustration on the side and just focus on the game and try to make a difference. I’m going to try to do that and keep working hard and get going.”
As for his conversation with Tortorella, Gaborik internalized the message and knows describing it will do no good.
“We had a good conversation,” Gaborik said. “That’s it.”
* Mats Zuccarello will play tonight for the first time since re-signing with the Rangers on Monday. The 5-foot-7 Norwegian winger took part in his first team skate on Thursday morning before a 3-0 loss to the Senators in Ottawa, but was scratched for that game.
Considering it was another offensive sputtering, the playmaking Zuccarello is hoping to add a spark. He skated in practice on a line with Chris Kreider and Brad Richards, making Arron Asham and Darroll Powe the odd men out up front.
“The reason why we’re interested in Zuke is we feel he can make plays,” Tortorella said. “But we can’t expect him to come in and change everything offensively. We think he can help us offensively. That’s why he’s here.”
The Rangers signed free-agent defenseman Conor Allen, who was playing with the University of Massachusetts.