New York is being observed closer then ever: Marian Gaborik's hat trick lifts rookie goalie Chad Johnson, New York Rangers ...

New York

BY Michael Obernauer

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

DENVER - Marian Gaborik has exactly twice as many hat tricks as Chad Johnson has games of NHL experience. But the superstar and the rookie will be happy to share credit for the crucial two points the Rangers earned Sunday night.

Gaborik staged a sublime performance and Johnson one he will never forget, a 3-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche that snapped the Rangers' five-game skid and gave the rookie goaltender his first NHL victory. Pressed into action for a second straight night because of Henrik Lundqvist's flu bug, Johnson barely missed a shutout - Cody McLeod broke that up with the Avs swarming 7:21 from the end - but he rebounded from an uneven performance in Phoenix the night before to make 34 saves.

Gaborik, meanwhile, had the game well in hand at the other end, scoring a goal in each period for his 10th career hat trick and his first since burning the Rangers for five goals on Dec. 20, 2007, with the Wild.

Gaborik got his first of the night when turned on the jets before his own blue line to skate onto a free carom, then let go a wrist shot on the move from the top of the right circle that beat Avalanche goalie Craig Anderson to the far side at 13:53.

Gaborik went one better, and gave the Rangers an even more rare 2-0 lead, 5:57 into the second. The winger circled the Colorado zone with the puck before having it knocked off his stick at the left wing boards, but as Vinny Prospal hopped on the puck, Gaborik bolted to the front, where Prospal hit him with a no-look backhand pass for a tap-in behind Anderson.

Meanwhile, Johnson made several beauties among his 12 first-period saves, and in the second, he stretched out to get his catching glove along the ice to rob Paul Stastny on two rebound tries at the left post.

He made two more stops on Stastny and on linemate Chris Stewart with Prospal in the penalty box in the third period. But Gaborik capped the hat trick and gave the visitors a 3-0 edge with a breakaway goal 10:43 from the end, taking a pass from Prospal - fresh out of the box for bumping Johnson and the goal net - and beating Anderson with a shot as he fell to the ice.