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Gaborik's hat trick fuels Rangers win over Oilers

Nov 14, 2010 - 10:45 PM New York, NY (Sports Network) - Marian Gaborik scored his first three goals of the season and added an assist, leading the New York Rangers to an 8-2 victory over the weary Edmonton Oilers at Madison Square Garden.

Gaborik, in just his second game after missing 12 with a separated shoulder, recorded his 11th career hat trick. The Rangers were still without goaltender Henrik Lundqvist for the second straight game because of an illness, but Martin Biron filled in admirably with 19 saves.

Alex Frolov scored twice and assisted on a pair of goals for New York, which has won two in a row. Brian Boyle, Artem Anisimov and Ruslan Fedotenko also scored, while Erik Christensen picked up three assists in the lopsided victory -- the second-largest over the Oilers at home in franchise history.

The Rangers laid a 10-2 beating on Edmonton in its first trip to Manhattan on October 24, 1979.

"Hopefully, we can build on this and keep going forward," said Gaborik.

Ryan Jones and Shawn Horcoff scored for the Oilers, who wrapped up a five-game road trip with a 1-3-1 mark. Edmonton has lost four in a row, including Friday's overtime setback at New Jersey, and has been outscored 25-8 during the skid.

Horcoff returned after a three-game absence because of a thigh injury. Nikolai Khabibulin was left in for all eight goals on 31 shots in defeat.

"The biggest thing is we turned the puck over," said Oilers head coach Tom Renney.

The Rangers erased a 2-1 deficit with goals just 25 seconds apart in the second period.

Gaborik picked up his second of the game at the 7:12 mark with a beautiful breakaway goal, using a deke to the forehand to elude the poke-check of Khabibulin. Boyle then netted his fourth in the last five games with a shot from the slot off a perfect right-circle feed from Fedotenko.

"It's great that we tied it and got another goal right away," said Gaborik of New York's quick strikes.

New York extended its lead with 6:43 left in the period, moments after a power play expired, as Anisimov banged home a Derek Stepan cross-ice pass for his sixth goal.

Frolov made it 5-2 just five seconds before the end of the stanza with his first goal of the game. Gaborik started the play with a pass from the right circle to the left circle for Christensen, who spotted Frolov at the top of the crease for the easy tap-in.

The third period featured numerous scraps, including a pair of heavyweight bouts between Edmonton's Steve MacIntyre and New York's Derek Boogaard. The two dropped the gloves just 2:28 into the period and again at 8:46. Two more separate fights ensued at the 11:18 mark.

Frolov scored his second of the game off an Edmonton turnover with 7:46 left and Fedotenko netted his third of the season just 40 seconds later before Gaborik completed the hat trick on a breakaway with 5:38 remaining to account for the final margin.

"He's our game breaker," noted Rangers head coach John Tortorella. "He can do those things on his own. He's our top guy and he played like it."

The Rangers came out buzzing from the start and opened the scoring just 1:35 into the contest. Gaborik dug the puck off the back wall behind the Edmonton net, skated out to the right side of the crease and stuffed a shot through the Khabibulin's pads.

Edmonton managed just four shots in the first period, then scored twice in a span of 28 seconds early in the second to move in front. Jones netted the first at the 2:45 mark and Horcoff blasted a high shot from just above the right circle that deflected off Biron's arm before going into the net.

Game Notes

Frolov ended a 10-game goal drought, scoring for the first time since October 23 against Boston...Stepan had two assists for New York...The Rangers' previous best output was six goals in a 6-3 victory at Buffalo in their season opener on October 9...Edmonton's previous worst defensive showing came in a 7-1 loss at Carolina just five days ago...The Oilers head home for a Wednesday contest against Chicago, while the Rangers visit Pittsburgh on Monday after a 2-2 homestand.