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KANATA, Ontario — Even if Henrik Lundqvist were only feigning annoyance with fellow Ranger Marian Gaborik’s sniper celebration, it stung.
“We’ll have to talk about what kind of penalty [Gaborik pays]. Twenty-five hundred, right?” Lundqvist said after Gaborik was named the NHL All-Star Game MVP in last night’s 12-9 Team [Zdeno] Chara victory over the local Daniel Alfredsson side.
“We have to talk about this on the plane. It will be interesting how much he has to pay,” said Lundqvist, who gave up the first two goals of Gaborik’s hat trick said. “It’s been building between us. He won this one.
“But I’m not happy for him. I can’t believe he scored two goals. He had a great game.”
Gaborik mimicked Rangers teammate Artem Anisimov’s sniper celebration after opening the scoring on Lundqvist 4:34 into play. Gaborik then scored the Chara side’s third and final goal in Lundqvist’s period of action.
“I think we’re good. We always have a good competition, even in practice,” Gaborik said. “I was fortunate to be lucky against him. He’s one of the best, if not the best, goalies in the world.
“But I’m glad I got a couple of goals against him.”
Gaborik’s celebration was the culmination of a week of trash-talk Tweeting between the two Rangers, with Gaborik reminding Lundqvist of scoring five on him on Dec. 20, 2007, while Gaborik played for the Wild.
Gaborik’s hat trick is the 16th in All-Star Game history, which includes five four-goal games. Mario Lemieux had one four-goal and one three-goal performance. Gaborik joins Mike Gartner (1993) as the only Rangers to register All-Star hat tricks. Gaborik had played in only two prior All-Star games, with his lone point a goal in 2008 with Minnesota.
Gaborik also tied for 10th place all-time with a four-point All-Star game. Lemieux holds the record of six points (3-3-6) in 1988.
Gaborik said he’d planned his celebration.
“I was thinking if I scored on Henrik what I’d do,” Gaborik said. “I gave him a little Artem celebration. I don’t think he was too happy about that. I tried to get into his mind all weekend.”
He completed the job in a 5:35 span yesterday. Now they have to make up for Gaborik’s show-up.
* Steve Stamkos was stopped by Jimmy Howard on the second penalty shot in All-Star history in the first, after a trip by Dion Phaneuf. Matt Duchesne failed last year in the first All-Star penalty shot. … The Flyers’ Scott Hartnell was credited with the first All-Star hit (on Jamie Benn) since the 2009 game. … There were six sets of duplicate numbers on Chara’s team: Gaborik and Corey Perry (10), Benn and Jordan Eberle (14), Joffrey Lupul and Tyler Seguin (19) and Marian Hossa and Phil Kessel (81). … Columbus hosts next year’s show.