LOS ANGELES — Marian Gaborik had floated through most of Game 2 of these Stanley Cup finals without making much of a contribution, outside of committing a tripping penalty in the first period.
But any elite goal scorer has the ability to change the game in an instant, and that’s exactly what Gaborik — the former Ranger — did when he scooped up a loose puck and fired it past Henrik Lundqvist and into the Rangers’ net to tie the game with 12:24 remaining in the third period, sending the game to overtime where the Kings eventually emerged with a 5-4 double-overtime victory.
Now the series heads to New York for Game 3 on Monday with the Kings holding a commanding 2-0 lead in the series.
“I’m glad we got him,” Kings forward Anze Kopitar said with a smile afterward. “He’s usually in the right place at the right time.”
Gaborik’s goal Saturday night — his league-leading 13th of the playoffs — was eerily similar to the one he scored to tie Game 7 of the Western Conference finals in Chicago in the third period last weekend, when he collected a loose, bouncing puck and put it past Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford.
This time, he took advantage of a miscue by Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who got tangled up with Derek Stepan and Kopitar while trying to control the puck to the right of the Rangers’ net.
Gaborik’s initial shot attempt was deflected by McDonagh’s stick, and floated back out in front of Lundqvist. But when Chris Kreider tried to clear the puck out from in front of the net, he merely pushed it back over to Gaborik, who put it past Lundqvist before the goaltender could react.
“He’s a goal scorer,” Kings forward Dwight King said. “I wouldn’t put it past him if he has an opportunity to put it in, and that’s what we need.”
It was Gaborik’s first goal against his former team, who traded him to Columbus last April at the trade deadline before the Blue Jackets then shipped the Slovakian star to the Kings in March in another trade deadline deal.
Now Gaborik will prepare to play at the Garden for the first time since being dealt away when this series resumes there Monday night for Game 3, but Kopitar said getting revenge on his former team isn’t what his linemate is focused on.
“You should probably ask him that, but I don’t think that’s on his agenda,” Kopitar said. “We have one goal in this room, and I don’t think that’s on his mind right now.”