By Greg Caggiano
In last night's game between Slovakia and Canada, the Slovaks fell behind 3-0 before making things interesting late in the third period when they scored twice to get within one and then missed a wide open net and ringing it off the crossbar, what could have been the tying goal. Game breaker Marian Gaborik was nowhere to be seen on the ice during the period, because he left the game due to an injury in the second period.
Nothing has been confirmed yet as to how severe the injury is. Bob McKenzie of TSN writes, "No official word on Gaborik's injury, but as yet unconfirmed reports suggest it may be the groin. At the very least, Rangers cause for concern." Yet a report from a Slovakia newspaper (had it translated) says, "Gaborik was experiencing minor discomfort but now is okay and should be ready to go for the bronze medal game tomorrow." One makes it seem serious when the other does not.
Truth is, the injury is definitely lower body and Gaborik has a history of groin and hip problems and even suffered some in the pre-season, which have gone all but forgotten. His groin was a disaster waiting to happen and now it is possible that it has finally come to the point where Gaborik has re-injured himself seriously...again. The Rangers cannot survive without Gaborik, who has account for roughly 25% of the team's total goals scored.
Team Slovakia will take on Finland today in the bronze medal game and there is no word on the status of Marian Gaborik. I was never a fan of having NHLers play in the Olympics and this just reinforces why; the Rangers send a perfectly healthy superstar who is getting paid mega bucks to a completely useless tournament and they get him back injured. Serious or not, if Gaborik is in the lineup for Slovakia today it will prove that Olympic hockey is a joke, and may help Bettman decide that the NHL will stop sending stars in 2014.
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