It's Almost Gaborik Time

Just a topic to write about this morning, before the Blueshirts hit the ice in Boston at 4pm for their fourth pre-season contest. The Rangers announced that it is likely that winger Marian Gaborik will be playing in a pre-season game sometime early this week, possibly on Monday against the Wings.

Last Sunday we were informed that Gabs was labeled as "day-to-day" by head coach John Tortorella. It turns out that the injury which was keeping Gaborik out of camp scrimmages was a minor groin strain, which seems to have healed on its own rather quickly. Tortorella and the rest of the coaching staff made the right call to allow Gabs the required rest, rather than participating in the grueling endurance skates last weekend. Instead, Marian took the ice alone at the conclusion of this week's skates/scrimmages, where he completed several workouts and tests with Ranger staff.

A week after the injury announcement, Gaborik is now ready for game action. Marian played in an inter-squad scrimmage in camp earlier this week, and said he felt fine, besides a little stiffness in the groin area. The major question going into camp was Gaborik's hip which underwent surgery last season, but that has not given the star winger any problems just yet.

It is highly unlikely that Gabs plays today, but more reasonable if he makes his pre-season debut on Monday, and if not, then on Thursday against the Capitals. MSG Network will be talking with Gaborik either before the drop of the puck in Boston, or between periods, so we will get more of a sense of where he is at from his perspective.

Check back in a bit for Rangers/Bruins postgame.....

(Photo courtesy of Getty Images)