NHL All-Star Game 2012: Marian Gaborik Goal on Henrik Lundqvist Good for Rangers

Scoring on your own goaltender is hardly ever a good thing in the NHL.

Except, of course, in the All-Star Game, and especially since the advent of the fantasy draft.

Marian Gaborik made that strange, yet exciting, possibility a reality during the first period of the 2012 NHL All-Star Game when he scored—not once, but twice!—on Team Alfredsson goalie and New York Rangers teammate Henrik Lundqvist.

It wasn't entirely unexpected that these two would end up on opposite sides of the ice, seeing as how Gabby had hoped for the opportunity to snipe Hank with "The Anisimov."

So much for it being Lundqvist's "turn" to have a good night against the speedy Slovakian. Team Alfredsson coach John Tortorella, whose day job includes leading the Rangers, probably wasn't too pleased to see Hank give up three goals in the first period, though he probably didn't mind seeing Gaborik account for two of them.

After all, Gaborik has played an integral part in the Blueshirts' emergence as one of the top outfits in the NHL, thanks in large part to a vastly improved offense that can give Lundqvist and New York's blue line the scoring support they need.

Truth be told, New York's current goals-per-game average (2.77) is only marginally better than last season's (2.73), with the real difference in success this season coming on Lundqvist's end of the ice. The Rangers' goals-against average has dropped to 1.98 from 2.38 a season ago.

Still, if the Rangers are to make the sort of noise in the Stanley Cup playoffs that team owner James Dolan expects them to, they'll need Gabby to keep the goals coming.

Though, after pulling in a hat trick in Ottawa on Sunday, he may find the pace just a bit untenable.

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