Remember When: Marian Gaborik’s 3OT winner in Washington

With the Rangers headed to the nation’s capital for Game 3 of their first round series, it felt appropriate to remember another Game 3 in Washington, when Marian Gaborik’s 3OT winner helped propel the Rangers past the Caps in the second round of the 2012 playoffs.

In a marathon showdown against the Washington Capitals during the third game of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, Marian Gaborik emerged as the hero, clinching a 3-2 victory for the New York Rangers in triple overtime. Gaborik’s decisive goal, scored 14:41 into the third overtime period, not only secured the win but also gave the Rangers a crucial 2-1 series lead.

Held at the Verizon Center in Washington, that win marked the end of a seven-game overtime losing streak for Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who delivered an outstanding performance with 45 saves. The triple overtime thriller marked a historic moment for the Rangers, with their last triple overtime game dating back to the 1971 playoffs at the time of Gaborik’s game-winner.

At the time, this game stood as the second-longest game in Rangers’ playoff history, then ranked 22nd overall in NHL playoff history. The Rangers’ longest-ever game remains a quadruple overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens in 1930, a legendary contest that ended 8:52 into the fourth overtime period and stands as one of the longest games in NHL history.