Gallant Should Keep The Kids with Mika Zibanejad

After beating the St.Louis Blues 6-4 at MSG on Monday night, there was one aspect of the game that got many people talking. It was the fact that Gerard Gallant put out a line consisting of Mika Zibanejad, Alexis Lafreniere, and Kaapo Kakko. They were put together during the second period after the Rangers were down 4-3 and this line was fantastic. The “Kids” looked energized playing with Zibanejad and this was the line that got the Rangers back in the game.

If Gallant wants to keep his job and wants the team to keep winning, he should stick with this line going forward. They were on the ice for the game-tying goal as Lafreniere got an assist on the Miller goal. Lafreniere would also score on a deflected shot from Mika Zibanejad which gave the Rangers the lead. This line was all over the ice and when the Rangers play the Golden Knights on Wednesday, they should still be together.

We have all heard the rumors surrounding Gallant and his job. If the team can’t find a way to win multiple games in a row, he will not be the head coach of the Rangers anymore. If Gallant has any chance of winning these upcoming games, which will be a tough stretch, he needs to keep this line together. Having your top two picks play with your number one center is something fans have been wanting to see for a while.

They want Kakko and Lafreniere to get these minutes because they have all the potential in the world and given the opportunity, they could truly succeed.

These two players have been up and down the lineup all season and so far, they have not played up to what they should be. The organization has faith in these two players and that these guys can be the foundation of the future. If you want to see if they can handle these pressures, then they need to be given this chance and not have it taken away the second they make a mistake. You want them to build chemistry with Zibanejad because this line has the potential to be very deadly if they are given the time to work together.

At this point, Gallant has nothing to lose by keeping this line together. If it continues to work then great. If not, he can go back to what he had before or he can try another combination. Whatever he decides, it would be in the team’s best interest if he kept Zibanejad, Lafreniere, and Kakko together. Give it time and it could produce some positive results for a team looking for any signs of positivity right now.