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Quote: Rangers Big Guns Step Up

by Jimmy Hascup on March 13th, 2010 at 9:24 am

If the Rangers are going to make a playoff push, it starts with their best players playing at their highest levels.  Just as they have for most of the season season, Marian Gaborik with a goal and two assists and Vinny Prospal with two goals and an assist took it upon themselves to halt the four-game losing streak.

Tortorella spoke to Jim Cerny about the play of his top-liners:

“They made some big plays on the power play,” Tortorella said of his top guns. “Certainly, as we have talked about, we need them on the board, and they were on the board, and that was big for our win tonight.”

Prospal talked about the performance as a way of repaying the trust from Tortorella:

“We get the opportunity to get the ice-time, to be put out there in the crucial moments,” said Prospal. “It’s always great when you get that trust from your coach and then you give it back.”

…We’ve been waiting for it to come and after six games since the Olympic break, Gaborik has looked like his old self. He was a lot more engaged, utilized his speed more and attacked on offense. Against the Devils he was kind of “floating” around, but tonight it looked like Gaborik may be close to being fully healed. With 52 points this season for Prospal, he has truly been a steal for the Rangers this year.

…It also helps when guys like Gaborik and Prospal play “just” over 16 minutes, but the other guys have contributed enough where Gaborik and Prospal aren’t needed to carry the full load. The Rangers need some steady contributions from their top-lines the rest of the way.