Jonny Lazarus on How to Get Rangers Mika Zibanejad Going Again
The New York Rangers have been sitting alone at the top of the Metropolitan Division since the first week of the 2023 NHL regular season. The team is led by superstar Artemi Panarin, who has 68 points in just 52 games so far and is on pace to break his personal point record in a season.
On the other hand, the Rangers typical #2 man, Mika Zibanejad, has struggled to rack up the points so far this year with only 16 goals out of his 48 points. Now here comes the shocking question that Lazarus discusses: Is it finally time for Mika and Kreider to split up on lines?
"Mika has this notion in his head that he's not the goal scorer on the line, so he's been passing up opportunities to shoot all year. Well, that's obviously not the case. Curious about what the Blue Crew boys think. I think when he's on a line with Chris Kreider, Kreider is known to be the goal scorer on that line. So he passes up opportunities looking for Kreider every time."
via Jonny Lazarus, The Blue Crew
The two studs have been very successful over the last 5 years playing on a line together, but something feels different with Mika’s play style this year. Lazarus explains how whenever Kreider and Mika are on the same line, it feels like Kreider is the proven goalscorer.
This is not an unfair assessment to make, as Kreider is expected to put up high amounts of goals each year. However, it feels as if Mika has this idea too now that he should be looking to set up Kreider for goals, instead of someone setting him up too.
It is no secret that Mika can put plenty of pucks in the net himself. In his 2019 campaign, he potted 41 goals with the Rangers, and in just last season, he buried 39. Mika has one of the most feared one-timers in the league, has a heavy wrist shot from every angle of the ice, and it seems that he just is not shooting the puck enough as long as Kreider is out there with him.
Lazarus argues that it could be time for Mika to get new linemates, where the Kakko-Zibanejad-Cuylle line is suggested. Lazarus continues to argue how Cuylle and Kakko can both be playmakers, however they are not proven goalscorers. This would be a major plus for Mika, who would become the ideal goalscorer of that line, and finally get his game back on track.
