ST. PAUL, Minn. — No doubt it was about pride and professionalism, this Ranger reversal of fortunes in a 5-2 victory over the Wild here last night that followed Friday’s 5-1 drubbing by the Avalanche in Denver, but perhaps the bounty put up by Marian Gaborik and Derek Boogaard upon their return to the city they once called home had a little something to do with it, too.
“I am a little lighter [in the wallet],” Gaborik told The Post, laughing when asked how much the time-honored NHL tradition (in which teammates collect on a victory) cost him. “But I would say it was worth it.”
The Rangers were outstanding in building a 4-0 lead early in the third, taking care of their own end, getting the puck in deep and supporting one another in washing out the taste from the previous night’s folly.
“We really didn’t need to say very much,” Ryan Callahan said. “We mentioned it a bit before the game, but everybody was aware that we needed to respond.
“Good teams in this league respond. I think this was another step in our team building toward what we want to be.”
Martin Biron, who replaced Lundqvist midway through Friday’s defeat, was outstanding, especially early when the Wild created several scoring opportunities. The understudy has limited the opposition to two goals or fewer in six of his seven starts.
Gaborik, who was predominantly booed by the crowd that apparently resents the Wild’s all-time leading scorer for rejecting a 10-year, $78.5 million contract offer early in the 2008-09 season before opting for midseason hip surgery and then signing a five-year, $37.5M free agent deal with the Rangers, was not fazed by his greeting.
“I don’t think it was so bad. The building was kind of quiet overall,” said The Great Gabby, who had one assist with a couple of scoring opportunities in 16:11 “Quite frankly I was nervous, but I tried to focus on the game.
“It was something special for me. It feels great. It was a huge win.”
Boogaard, greeted warmly, also admitted to feeling nerves. But in a Believe It or Not episode, it was Boogaard, rather than Gaborik, who ignited a three-goal second period to break open a scoreless contest with his big hit along the wall that separated Robbie Earl from the puck and led directly to the Artem Anisimov score at 8:50 that made it 1-0.
“That kind of play is what I’m here for and that’s what I focus on,” said Boogaard, who got 5:28 of ice. “I need to skate and get in on the puck and be physical.”
The score came minutes after coach John Tortorella, who reached the 300-win circle, moved Erik Christensen between Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky while shifting Anisimov down to the unit with Boogaard and Sean Avery.
“I thought Artie’s line had gone a little stale,” Tortorella said. “I’m not sure where I’m going to go with our line combinations right now.”
The Rangers then got a power play goal from Michael Del Zotto in a bounce-back performance from Friday’s minus-four night and a wraparound from Alex Frolov to extend the lead to 3-0 at the end of two before Dubinsky’s breakaway made it 4-0 early in the third. Ruslan Fedotenko got the final goal.
The victory improved the team’s record to 5-0 on the second night of back-to-backs. So far as anyone knows, none of the previous four victories included a bounty.