New York Rangers Marian Gáborik and Brad Richards off to Great Starts

The biggest question surrounding the Brad Richards signing for the New York Rangers was: What if Richards didn’t click with Gáborik?

That question—at least for now—appears to be a non factor. In the five games the Rangers have played, they have a record of 2-1-2. The most recent victory came against the Calgary Flames after Ryan McDonagh scored a game winner with 0.8 seconds left in overtime.

Gáborik and Richards have already developed some chemistry. They know where to find each other on the ice, and it gives fans something to watch for each and every night.

It is no secret that the Rangers acquired Richards in an attempt to mend two key holes in their lineup. So far, the Rangers have one power-play goal. That goal belongs to Gáborik.

Adding Richards to the equation was no guarantee for sure-fire success, but so far, it appears to be working.

Marian Gáborik is finally playing with that elite center he longed for. He looks great on the ice and is in great shape. His speed and legs are the biggest tools in Gáborik's game.

When he is on the top of his game, he is one of the fastest and deadliest skaters in the league. This was exhibited when Richards threw Gáborik a “touchdown” pass on a breakaway during the European opening weekend.

There is no doubt that Richards will continue to be under a lot of pressure as the season goes on. Richards and the Rangers have not stepped into Madison Square Garden yet. The total pressure and scope of New York has not been fully exposed to Richards yet.

The media circus of New York can make the sanest of players go mad after a bad game, due to the inquisitive and brash nature of New York reporting. Richards is a soft-spoken player who likes to lead by example.

So far this season, Richards has done exactly that. Richards has one goal and four assists for five points overall. Gáborik, on the other hand, has scored four goals so far.

The biggest surprise on the Rangers' top line thus far has been Ryan McDonagh. His two goals and two assists for four points only cements his solid defensive play thus far. McDonagh hasn’t been perfect, but he has played solid mistake-free hockey for the most part.

No matter how you slice it, the Rangers still have a lot of work to do. They need to learn some discipline and play penalty-free hockey. If the Rangers can do that and get Michael Sauer and Marc Staal back soon, the Rangers could start to emerge from the middle of the pack.

The Rangers will head to Edmonton to face the Oilers on Saturday night. Here are the projected lines for the Oilers-Rangers matchup:

Derek Stepan-Brad Richards (A)-Marian Gáborik
Brandon Dubinksy-Artem Anisimov-Ryan Callahan (C)
Ruslan Fedotenko-Brian Boyle-Brandon Prust
Mike Rupp-Erik Christensen-Kris Newbury 

Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi
Michael Del Zotto-Steve Eminger
Tim Erixon-Jeff Woywitka

Marty Biron

The Rangers will practice tomorrow, so these lines could change over the next few hours. You can check the Bleacher Report New York Rangers page on Saturday afternoon for the most recent news, updates and alerts concerning the Rangers matchup with Edmonton.

Who impressed you the most in the Rangers’ overtime win against the Flames? How do you feel about the “Broadway Hat” tradition the Rangers have started?

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Tom Urtz Jr is an NHL Featured Columnist. For more NHL free-agent news, updates and alerts about players: