In his time with the New York Rangers, top-line center Mika Zibanejad rarely experiences a minus-4 rating in a game, but that was the case during their 6-5 overtime defeat to the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday.
Zibanejad, along with linemates Chris Kreider and Reilly Smith, failed to contribute offensively despite the team scoring five goals, and they were on the ice for most of Utah’s scoring, ending with a combined minus-7 rating. Coach Peter Laviolette addressed the team’s defensive performance on Monday, acknowledging that it was a collective issue rather than the fault of one individual. “Most of the clips you can’t just point to one person and say, ‘Well, this guy made a mistake,’” he noted. “It was a group effort on what we could have done better, and Zibanejad was caught out there for a few of those.”
One instance was the decisive goal in overtime, where Zibanejad faced a tough choice: cover a wide-open Mikhail Sergachev at the point or pressure Clayton Keller behind the net. He opted to move towards Sergachev, allowing Keller to break free and score the game-winner with a backhand shot past Igor Shesterkin. This play added to Zibanejad’s minus rating, although the entire line couldn’t be solely blamed due to the 3-on-3 nature of the situation.
Natural Stat Trick data reveals that Zibanejad has been involved in 26 scoring chances while on the ice, with 22 against, resulting in a minus-3 in all scenarios. In high-danger situations, he has been part of 12 chances for and seven against, but he has been outscored 3-1. This indicates that Zibanejad and the first line are creating more opportunities yet are still falling behind their opponents in scoring.
It’s important to note that not all goals scored against can be attributed to Zibanejad. The first line still needs to develop cohesion and improve on their defensive mistakes soon.
“I think we’re right there,” Zibanejad said. “There are many positive aspects in what we’re doing, and we continue to communicate. The key to improvement is working on it … I see potential for something great; hopefully, with time, we’ll establish that chemistry and have a different conversation in a couple of months.”
The Zibanejad-Kreider-Smith trio showed encouraging chemistry during the preseason and training camp, and they performed well in the impressive 6-0 season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins. While the recent performance against Utah raises some concerns, there are still 80 games left in the season.
“Against Pittsburgh, I thought that line was really strong,” Laviolette noted. “They had excellent moments in the exhibition games too, generating good numbers and opportunities.”
On the offensive front, Zibanejad has yet to score in two games, even though the Rangers have netted 11 goals. Concerns about defensive issues may be compounded if his offensive struggles persist. As the first-line center and a player who recorded 91 points two seasons ago, Zibanejad must return to his scoring form.
“You don’t want to play recklessly,” Zibanejad said. “It’s about staying true to your identity as a player and understanding what has led to your success. Sometimes things might not go your way, but you just have to keep grinding. Keep showing up and working—that’s all I can do.”
