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New York Rangers: PK comes up huge in Devils win, other takeaways

By Andrew Steele-Davis

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - NOVEMBER 30: Ryan Strome #16 of the New York Rangers and P.K. Subban #76 of the New Jersey Devils fight for the puck in the third period at Prudential Center on November 30, 2019 in Newark, New Jersey.The New York Rangers defeated the New Jersey Devils 4-0. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - NOVEMBER 30: Ryan Strome #16 of the New York Rangers and P.K. Subban #76 of the New Jersey Devils fight for the puck in the third period at Prudential Center on November 30, 2019 in Newark, New Jersey.The New York Rangers defeated the New Jersey Devils 4-0. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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NEWARK, NJ – NOVEMBER 30: New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad (93) skates during the second period of the National Hockey League game between the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers on November 30, 2019 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NEWARK, NJ – NOVEMBER 30: New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad (93) skates during the second period of the National Hockey League game between the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers on November 30, 2019 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

2. Dynamic Zibanejad

Although the Rangers did a sterling job of more than staying afloat during Mika Zibanejad’s 13-game absence, boy it is good to have the franchise center back.

And he was at his very best against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, tormenting the opposition by being all over the ice and coming up clutch in key moments.

He may have scored in his first game back against the Carolina Hurricanes, but this was Zibanejad at his sharpest.

The forward did the little things well throughout the game, including winning 63 percent of his faceoffs, but he really came up big when his team needed him in the third period.

He picked off Sami Vatanen’s woeful pass and quickly played the puck over to Brendan Lemieux before getting it back and sniping a shot past Mackenzie Blackwood for the Rangers’ first shorthanded goal of the day.

And Zibanejad showed off his playmaking abilities for the third goal, sending a perfectly-timed pass over to Jesper Fast who one-timed home the feed.

It was Zibanejad at the peak of his powers and that is exactly the type of performance you expect from an elite game-changer.

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