Marian Gaborik got his first look at the renovated Garden Monday morning, and he liked what he saw.
“The Garden looks nice, that’s for sure,” the former Ranger said with a smile following the Kings’ morning skate ahead of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final Monday evening.
It was Gaborik’s first time back at the Garden since he was dealt by the Rangers to Columbus last April in a deadline-day deal for three players – Derek Dorsett, Derick Brassard and John Moore – who have played a part in his former team’s run to the Cup final this spring.
“It’s not strange, but it’s a little different,” Gaborik said of facing the Rangers. “Obviously at the start of the series it was a little weird, but when we hit the ice and the puck drops, it’s like playing another team.
“When they played Montreal, I didn’t really care who it was going to be. When it was all said and done [and it was] New York, obviously I was looking to that, and here we are. Nothing’s changed, and it’s going to be a big game for us.”
Though he has said he has no hard feelings for his former employer, he admitted playing against the Rangers was a unique experience that makes the series – his first trip to the Cup finals – a “little more special.”
“Just overall it feels great to play in my first final, that’s for sure,” the 32-year-old said. “It’s a long time coming. I’ve been in the league since 2000, and when you get older you maybe push for that more. I’m grateful to play in my first final, and it makes it a little more special to play against the Rangers, that’s for sure.”
Gaborik, who was acquired by the Kings in March from Columbus in a second straight deadline-day trade, leads the playoffs with 13 goals – including scoring the game-tying goal in Saturday’s 5-4 double overtime win for the Kings in Game 2 in Los Angeles. He was asked if any specific memory stood out from his time with the Rangers, for whom he played for nearly four full seasons and scored 114 goals, including eclipsing the 40-goal mark twice, but said no specific ones came to mind.
“There’s a lot of good memories,” he said. “I was here almost four years, so I can’t pinpoint one certain thing. … I had a lot of fun and enjoyed my time here. Now it’s all about business obviously so I’m looking forward to tonight.”