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Gaborik scores twice to lift Rangers over Islanders

Mar 16, 2011 - 3:55 AM New York, NY (Sports Network) - Marian Gaborik scored twice, leading a potent Rangers offense in a 6-3 victory over the Islanders.

Thirteen players had points for the surging Rangers, who have won four of their last five games to move two points ahead of Buffalo for seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

"This time of year, especially with the standings so tight, every game means so much," said Rangers forward Ryan Callahan. "We have to put a lot of wins together to make the playoffs and in order to do that we have to come out strong every night."

Callahan, Erik Christensen and Bryan McCabe each had a goal and one assist while Brandon Prust also scored in the win. Henrik Lundqvist made 25 saves.

Matt Moulson and John Tavares both had three points for the Islanders, who fell to 0-2 on a five-game road trip. Moulson and Tavares had one goal and two assists apiece.

Al Montoya started in net for the Islanders, but was pulled after giving up five goals on 36 shots in the first two periods. Nathan Lawson yielded a goal on 11 shots in the third.

"They just kept rolling," said Montoya.

The first period was dominated by chippy play and a pair of special-teams goals by the Rangers. The Islanders scored twice in the first 3:50 of the second period to tie the game at 2-2, but the Rangers responded in a big way to take control for good.

Callahan gave them a 3-2 lead at 11:31, scoring into a wide-open net after Artem Anisimov slipped the puck under an out-of-place Montoya at the side of the goal.

The Rangers then scored back-to-back power play goals in a 4:02 span later in the period. Gaborik used two players as a screen, scoring on a wrist shot at 15:09, then Bryan McCabe got his first goal in eight games as a Ranger from the top of the right circle with 49 seconds left in the period.

"We created a lot of scoring chances," said Lundqvist. "In the second period we started off a little bit on our heels ... (but) it was a big win."

Gaborik's second goal came 12:43 into the third -- he beat Lawson glove-side with a snap shot to make it 6-2 -- and Tavares finished the scoring for the Islanders with a rebound goal on the power play with 4:03 left.

The Rangers have now won four straight against the Islanders after dropping the opener of the season series. They scored their first goal just 3:47 into the game when Prust was in place for a rebound after Ryan McDonagh's soft shot deflected off Montoya's left pad.

Rangers forward Sean Avery was in the box for boarding after pushing Micheal Haley from behind. Later in the period, Haley went off for boarding against Brandon Dubinsky and the Rangers scored on the power play when Christensen slipped a wrister through traffic from the slot at 14:52.

The Islanders tied the game less than four minutes into the second period.

Moulson got a piece of Jack Hillen's one-timer in front at 1:21, then later hit Tavares on a long pass to start a rush that ended in a goal. Tavares chipped a pass in from the crease left side that P.A. Parenteau knocked out of the air to make it 2-2.

Game Notes

Parenteau had two points...McCabe was acquired in a trade with the Florida Panthers last month...The Islanders' road trip also includes games against Carolina, Florida and Tampa Bay.