The puck was in the net, that much everyone could see. The puck was in the net without it having been frozen by Buffalo goaltender Jhonas Enroth, that much everyone other than referee Brian Pochmara could see.
Unfortunately, his impaired vision and/or impaired judgment was all that counted, for Pochmara (spell check version: Pockmark) was the man with the whistle to wave off an apparent Rangers goal at 4:15 of the third with the Blueshirts and Sabres locked in a 2-2 draw.
“It’s a goal,” coach John Tortorella said matter of factly following last night’s Blueshirts’ 3-2 overtime victory at the Garden. “I’m not complaining, but it’s a goal.”
It was a goal when Enroth tried to gather the puck that Ruslan Fedotenko banged at but inadvertently knocked it in off his own pads. But it wasn’t a goal at all, just like it wasn’t a goal at all on Sunday when the reliably incorrect Bill McCreary waved off an Alex Frolov score after bungling a high stick call in what became a 2-0 (empty-net aided) defeat to the Blues.
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Marian Gaborik recorded three shots on net in 18:40 in his first game since Oct. 15 after being sidelined for a dozen matches with a separated left shoulder he sustained on a check by Toronto’s Colby Armstrong in the home opener.
“It’s the talent level he brings,” Tortorella said of his club’s elite sniper. “He’s dynamic. I think he makes other people better, too.”
Gaborik dangled early in the first and had a couple of chances on the Blueshirts’ first power play early in the first. He jumped into seams on the power play breakout, opening the ice for his defensemen to lug or move the puck. Gaborik played the left point across from Michael Del Zotto on the team’s unsuccessful 39-second 5-on-3 in the second.
“The first game back is always tough, but this was better than I expected,” said Gaborik, who unfortunately has history with returning from lengthy absences. “I need to get in game shape, but I felt pretty good.”
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The Rangers not only failed to convert on the 5-on-3, they failed to generate a shot on the two-man advantage. In fact, the Rangers did not get a shot during an extended 3:21 power play midway through the second off consecutive Buffalo penalties that included the 5-on-3.
The Blueshirts, who finished 0-for-5 with six shots in 9:21 of power play time, are 0-for-2 on the year with the two-man advantage while 2-for-6 killing 5-on-3’s. They killed both Buffalo power play’s, including one at 13:54 of third.
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Steve Eminger, who moved up to the second defense pair with Del Zotto, was strong in 19:57 of work, his season-high, that included 8:30 in the third and one shift in overtime. Del Zotto played 24:40 including 7:23 on the power play. Dan Girardi got a game-high 26:32.
Sean Avery played just 10:06 on 12 shifts while on a line with Derek Stepan and Todd White. e Derek Boogaard was scratched.