Mika Zibanejad is a crucial component of the New York Rangers' success, and his last two games should get him back on track.
Mika Zibanejad has been among the New York Rangers' most consistent performers over the last five seasons.
Solidifying his role as the number-one center, the Blueshirts have relied heavily on the center’s production at full strength and power play.
But the 2023-24 season has not gone as planned for Zibanejad up to this point, who has yet to truly take over games at the rate we are accustomed to.
He has 52 points (18 goals, 34 assists) in 54 games, but the analytics and eye test show some regression in his play.
If the Rangers want to go on an elongated postseason run this year, it is no secret that the 30-year-old forward will be a crucial part of that.
The spectacle that was the NHL Stadium Series saw the Rangers pull off an incredible comeback over their arch-rival New York Islanders. Zibanejad, who had been quiet most of the game, scored a power-play goal with 1:29 left to tie the game at five:
It was the clutch goal we are used to seeing from the veteran forward, who seems to be back on track after his big performance against the Montreal Canadiens.
Thursday night’s 7-4 win over the Canadiens was the perfect performance to get Zibanejad going. The native of Sweden had three points (one goal, two assists) in the victory, scoring shorthanded and assisting on two of linemate Chris Kreider’s three goals.
His rocket against the Islanders marked the second consecutive game Zibanejad scored from the left circle with his patented one-timer.
Arguably, the greatest attribute of Zianejad’s game is his shot. When on, he has pinpoint accuracy and phenomenal velocity to go along with it.
Oddly enough, Zibanejad has just 133 shots this season through 54 games. His 2.46 shots per game are well below his 2021-22 and 2022-23 totals of 2.70 and 3.06, respectively. His shot leads to goals and opens up passing lanes for him to find his teammates.
Without the threat of a shot, Zibanejad has found his passes being intercepted or broken up consistently. The shot needs to be the priority, but it has eluded him this season, deferring at a much higher rate than we are accustomed to seeing.
According to Natural Stat Trick, Zibanejad ranks seventh on the Rangers with 28 individual high-danger chances (iHDCF) at five-on-five. Last season, the center had 60 iHDCF at five-on-five.
He has just 6.00 individual expected goals (iXG) at five-on-five, a far cry from the 12.65 he had a year prior.
Five-on-five play has never been his forte, but his regression is alarming. Even on the power play, Zibanejad has just 7.14 iXG and 8.0 iHDCF, whereas last season, he finished with 13.42 iXG and 25.0 iHDCF.
Coming into the game against Montreal, Zibanejad had two points in his previous four contests.
Now Zibanejad has four points over his last two games and seems poised to right the ship.
Zibanejad needs to be a focal point of the Rangers’ offense. His play, primarily on the power play, allows the Blueshirts to muster offense outside of five-on-five, where they have historically struggled.
When the Rangers are clicking, their power play scores timely goals.
In their 6-5 win over the Islanders Sunday, that is exactly what they did. And it was Zibanejad who scored the biggest one.
It may not be what everyone wants to hear, but Zibanejad is a catalyst for the Rangers’ offense. Yes, his five-on-five play is not at the level you’d want a tier-one first-line center to be at, but he does a lot of little things well and makes up the offense in power-play points.
That version of Zibanejad, who is strong defensively at full strength and potent on the man advantage, is the version the Rangers need for the remainder of the campaign.
There will likely be additions come the NHL Trade Deadline on March 8th, but with the scary injury to Blake Wheeler, finding a right wing for the Zibanejad line becomes paramount. Jimmy Vesey, a great defensive forward, might not be the long-term solution, but his play meshes perfectly with Zibanejad and Kreider.
Vesey’s defensive play allows Zibanejad to be more offensive-minded, a trait we have not seen consistently this season.
Could that be a fit and a spark for Zibanejad, or will the spark be from an external addition?
However it happens, the Rangers need Zibanejad to get going.
His play must consistently be at the high level he has demonstrated in the past.
Should Zibanejad turn it around, the Rangers will become a more dynamic team and a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.