The concussion that forced Marian Gaborik out of yesterday’s 4-2 Garden defeat to the Flyers after the first period clouds a number of issues for the Rangers, who are staggering and close to being out on their feet after their eighth loss (2-7-1) in the last 10 games.
There’s of course the issue of Gaborik’s health. According to coach John Tortorella, the winger had complained intermittently for about a week about not quite feeling well “off the ice,” but did not miss a practice or a shift until he remained in the locker room after taking six turns for 4:39 in the first period.
There’s the issue of whether this injury will have an impact on interest in Gaborik leading up to next Monday’s trade deadline.
Though previous reports of the Kings’ interest in No. 10 have been fictitious, The Post has learned that Kings general manager Dean Lombardi recently has canvassed his friends among league executives for their opinions on the sniper, who is suffering through the worst season of his career and is available for the right price.
And there’s the issue of what the Rangers will do to try to replace Gaborik if the winger, who has recorded 17 goals in 47 games but has scored in just 10 matches, is sidelined for a lengthy period.
Tortorella provided limited information about the injury in his post-game briefing. The Rangers, uncharacteristically tight-lipped on this one, will soon have to answer the question of just what they knew about Gaborik’s health and when they knew it, but it would be irresponsible to speculate that management and the medical staff allowed him to play through a concussion.
The Rangers recalled fourth-liner Kris Newbury from the AHL Whale, but with Gaborik sidelined for an indefinite period and highly unlikely to play in the three games prior to the deadline, general manager Glen Sather will immediately go on the lookout for a top-six winger.
The seventh-place Rangers hold a two-point lead over the Hurricanes, who have a game in hand, and a six-point lead over the Sabres, who have three games in hand. Perhaps more pertinent, the Rangers are just 12 points ahead of the rampaging Devils, who hold two games in hand and have made up 19 points on the Rangers in the past 18 games.
“We know the numbers — with 21 games to go we need to win 13,” an angry Brandon Dubinsky said after the match, in which the Rangers consistently were able to get to the net but could not put the puck in it often enough, even facing a shaky Brian Boucher. “We worked hard, but I can’t be too pleased with hard work without results.
“We need results.”
Dubinsky vented, alleging the Rangers wouldn’t be in their current plight had they given equal effort earlier in the slide, but that’s frustration talking. This team that gave everything it had is battered, bruised, and confused — searching for answers.
“The games we would win the first half,” said Marc Staal, “we’re just not winning now.”
And where once there were blue skies, there are now clouds.