At long last, it appears that the Zibanejad Heater might finally be here.
The New York Rangers’ stunningly successful start to the season, one in which they’ve leapt out to a 22-7-1 mark, has come largely without their No. 1 center playing like the superstar he is for much of the early going. Yet Mika Zibanejad, who managed two goals in his first 17 games, seems like he’s in the early stages of one of the scoring binges that have defined his career with the Rangers.
The player who’s coming off a career-best 39-goal, 52-assist effort in 2022-23 has recorded five goals and three assists in a five-game point streak, scoring twice in the Blueshirts’ latest impressive victory, 5-2 on the road against the high-powered Toronto Maple Leafs on Dec. 19.
It’s true that neither goal was close to highlight-worthy: Zibanejad was credited with the opening score in the first period when the puck bounced off of him and got past goaltender Martin Jones, while the second tally was an empty-netter to seal the deal at 16:47 of the third.
Zibanejad Showing Edgy New Side to His Game
The nature of the goals, however, is a mere footnote considering how Zibanejad has been playing since his halting start. Back to being a dynamic presence on the ice, Zibanejad is creating chances for himself and linemates Chris Kreider and Blake Wheeler, playing the high-level game in his own end which has been present all season, winning faceoffs (52.2 percent) and helping to fuel the Rangers’ lethal power play, which is tied for first in the NHL at a scorching 31.3 percent. Three of his last five goals have come with the man advantage.
None of that is surprising. What is new is Zibanejad exhibiting an edge that’s generally not associated with him. He incurred a 10-minute misconduct during a chippy 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Dec. 10, and received a double-minor for roughing late in the Rangers’ 7-3 home loss to the Maple Leafs on Dec. 12. That’s resulted in him already surpassing his 2022-23 penalty-minute total of 20 by two minutes, and put him well on his way to breaking his previous career high of 47.
Zibanejad has reached the 20 mark in penalty minutes for only the fourth time in his 13-year career. The Rangers, of course, will take it.
Zibanejad – and the Rangers as a whole – have gotten a big assist from Vincent Trocheck, whose terrific play has allowed the club to easily overcome Zibanejad’s slow-ish start and the head injury to Filip Chytil that has kept him out long-term. Trocheck has eight goals and 20 assists while also providing outstanding all-around play, giving the Rangers desperately-needed and timely production at center that has helped lift them toward the top of the NHL.
Now, it looks as if Zibanejad is ready to fully join the party. A case can be made that no forward on the Rangers plays a more vital role than the alternate captain – and for the Rangers to win the Stanley Cup, they’ll need Zibanejad at his very best.
Even with his early drought, Zibanejad’s 11 goals rank third on the team, and he’s at nearly a point-per-game pace, a stark testament to his ability to pile up goals and assists in bunches. Last February, he scored eight goals in a six-game stretch, had five goals and four assists in five games in March and totaled 11 goals and 13 assists over 20 games from late October-early December 2022.
Playoff Struggles Against Devils Might Be Fueling Zibanejad
Zibanejad, the true, no-doubt No. 1 center the Rangers haven’t had since the Mark Messier days, also represents perhaps the greatest trade steal in team history. He, like most of his teammates, appears fixated on overcoming the Rangers’ meltdown in the first round against the archrival New Jersey Devils in last season’s playoffs.
Coming off a 2022 playoff run in which he totaled 24 points in 20 games as the Blueshirts reached the Eastern Conference Final, Zibanejad managed one goal and three assists while being a combined minus-5 in the Rangers’ losses in Games 5 and 7 as the club blew a 2-0 series lead. Zibanejad was largely stifled in his frequent matchup with Devils center Nico Hischier, an outstanding two-way pivot.
Perhaps the uncharacteristic fire he showed against the Kings and Leafs recently is an indication that the memory of that playoff crash is serving as motivation this season. What the Rangers will need most, however, is the player who scored 23 goals over his last 22 games during the 2019-20 season. If a little emotion assists him in doing that, all the better for Zibanejad – and the Blueshirts.
Zibanejad’s other contributions besides scoring have been there throughout the first 30 games, and the Rangers certainly weren’t hurt by his offensive production being below his lofty standards in the early going. The Blueshirts’ deep lineup and newfound commitment to defense under new coach Peter Laviolette made sure of that.
If Zibanejad is in the opening act of one of his elongated bursts, however, that roster depth becomes all the more impressive, the Rangers’ hopes that they have enough to win an elusive championship even greater. There’s little doubt that the Blueshirts won’t get to the top of the Stanley Cup mountain without their top man in the middle at his high-scoring best when spring 2024 rolls around. Perhaps he’s in the process of fully rounding into that form as 2023 draws to a close.
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