Rangers’ Michael Grabner Grabs NHL’s First Star of the Week

Michael Grabner, No. 40 (NHLI/Getty Images)

It’s all coming up Michael Grabner as the New York Rangers hottest forward at the moment was given the first star of the week after completing his unconventional hat trick.

Without touching a stick or shooting a puck today Grabner was given a third goal in the Rangers’ big comeback victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night. What had previously been counted as an assist on an Adam Clendening goal was changed to Grabner’s giving him a fourth career hat trick and a second on the season.

Grabner’s award winning performance not only included the hat trick and four overall points in Columbus but also the game winning goals in back to back games in Philadelphia and Columbus and seven points over the two game stretch.

Grabner now has 19 goals in 41 games and is two goals away from this being his second best goal scoring tally in his career. The 19 goals halfway through the season also means he is on pace to beat his old high of 34 with the New York Islanders back in the 2010-11 season.

And as a fun side note, Grabner is tied only with Winnipeg’s Patrik Laine for the most amount of hat tricks in the league with two.