Zibanejad is greatness personified on heroic night

We witnessed history on Thursday night as Mika Zibanejad etched his name into New York Rangers folklore for eternity.

Sports boasts that wonderful habit of providing breathtaking moments that will live on forever, and we were all treated to an unforgettable night at Madison Square Garden by Zibanejad and the New York Rangers.

In what was a heavyweight clash at the World’s Most Famous Arena in the concrete jungle where dreams are made of, Zibanejad joined an illustrious list of names to have captivated a wide audience at MSG.

Just as Mark Messier scored the go-ahead goal in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Vancouver Canucks, and just as the late, great Kobe Bryant dropped 61 points on the New York Knicks, Zibanejad weaved his own slice of greatness.

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Going up against a Washington Capitals team boasting arguably one of the greatest scorers in NHL history in Alex Ovechkin, Zibanejad took center stage and delivered his own work of art that may well end up defining his career when all is said and done.

And, just as Joe Frazier had stunned the legendary Muhammed Ali in this very arena years earlier, Zibanejad proceeded to stun a slumping but still elite Capitals team.

A night that will go down as one of the greatest and most memorable in the rich history of this storied franchise started in the first period.

On the power play, Zibanejad got the most subtle of touches on a rocket from the point from Artemi Panarin to make it a tied game after former Blueshirt Carl Hagelin once again came back to haunt his old team.

Zibanejad scored again on the man advantage, in addition to lighting the lamp twice at even-strength, as he did his utmost to keep his team alive in what was a must-win and can’t lose contest.

Even as Alex Ovechkin tallied his second goal of the game and 47th of the year in the final minute of regulation to consign the game to overtime, Zibanejad never gave up hope.

He never stopped believing and, just as he did against the New York Islanders the previous week, Zibanejad rose to the occasion and took the game into his own hands.

With just 33 seconds played in overtime, Zibanejad connected with his partner in crime in Panarin, latching onto a long pass before skating in and beating Ilya Samsonov with the game-winner.

And, just like that, the roof was absolutely blown off Madison Square Garden as those lucky enough to be present screamed in pure ecstasy and looked on in sheer disbelief at what had just unfolded in-front of them.

Just as Derek Stepan was mobbed in the corner by his teammates after breaking the Capitals’ hearts in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals in May 2015, Zibanejad was pinned in that very same corner as his teammates tried to digest exactly what had just happened.

The sight of Zibanejad jumping for joy arm-in-arm with Tony DeAngelo will now be enshrined in Rangers history forever, just as that image of Martin St. Louis letting out his raw emotion after scoring on Mother’s Day in the first game at MSG since the passing of his mother lives on in our memory.

One of the hallmarks of a true great is having that confidence and that mental strength to come up clutch in the biggest moments.

Zibanejad did that on Thursday night as he propelled the Rangers to arguably their biggest win of the year, pushing them to within two points of the Islanders in the second wild-card spot.

It was the performance fit for a true leader who seems to relish playing for this historic organization night in and night out.

And, on a night when his team needed some inspiration, Zibanejad stepped up and illustrated once again why he is the face of the bright future that awaits the New York Rangers.

With the equally brilliant Panarin as his sidekick on this glorious night, Zibanejad landed blow after blow on the chin of the Capitals, eventually knocking them out in explosive fashion.

In doing so, he became only the third Ranger in franchise history to record five goals in a single-game, following in the hallowed footsteps of Don Murdoch on Oct. 12, 1976 and Mark Pavelich on Feb. 23, 1983.

Not only that, but Zibanejad also further put forward his case to be the next Captain of this franchise, with his hot streak of 14 goals and six assists in his last 10 outings proof that he is capable of leading by example.

In a season full of special nights, this was arguably the most incredible of them all and hopefully now the springboard to many more.

But, whatever happens down the stretch, Zibanejad carved out his very own jaw-dropper moment, one that could end up being the defining image of his career when all is said and done.

Not many players score five goals in a single game but Mika Zibanejad is not your average player, he’s much more special than that and he’s on a rapid trajectory towards greatness with the New York Rangers in tow.

Let’s all sit back and enjoy this because, as we all know, special players like #93 don’t come along too often.