At the beginning of the season, all hope seemed lost for Mika Zibanejad.
Everyone from New York Rangers fans to members of the media pinpointed his early struggles as a sign of a possible decline.
His lack of production on top of his iffy play was certainly a concern and it didn’t look like there was any light at the end of the tunnel for Zibanejad.
However, through the past few weeks, Zibanejad has suddenly reemerged as the player we all knew and loved. He’s playing his best hockey by far this season.
A big part of Zibanejad’s game is his craftiness and playmaking abilities with the puck on his stick.
The 31-year-old forward has been methodical puck handling as of late with his vision and hockey IQ on full display.
It’s almost as if Zibanejad can control a part of the ice. He’s in total command while he’s capable of dictating the pace of play.
You could tell by watching Zibanejad through the start of the season that he had no confidence and it was evident in his game.
However, the savvy veteran is now oozing with confidence, something that caught the attention of Peter Laviolette.
“He’s played really, really well for us,” Laviolette said of Zibanejad. “It’s the way he’s defending, the way he’s competing, battling, he’s creating. It’s been really good.”
Playing alongside J.T. Miller has taken a lot of pressure off of Zibanejad. It may appear like a weird fit on paper, but Miller and Zibanejad really complement each other well.
The two centers are able to feed off of one another and their incredibly high hockey IQs make them a dangerous duo.
“I think it’s easier to play with another centerman,” Zibanejad said. “Just for the faceoffs, it’s nice to have him on my weak side and his strong side. There are a few minor things in the game that could change for a winger rather than a center, but I feel like once we are in the D-zone or once we are in the O-zone we just play. We just play hockey.”
In 68 games this season, Zibanejad has recorded 15 goals, 34 assists and 49 points while averaging 18:44 minutes.
He still holds a prominent role in both the power play and penalty kill, proving his worth at both ends of the ice.
Zibanejad has helped propel the Rangers back into the playoff hunt and is continuing to show that he’s not declining just yet.