On Wednesday night, the New York Rangers got a much-needed victory, defeating the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 to get to 15-12-1 on the season.
In particular, the goal that gave the Rangers the opening lead was a big one - seven minutes in, Mika Zibanejad slotted one home on the power play to make the game 1-0, and New York did not give the lead back. The goal was a special one for Zibanejad; it was the 300th of his NHL career.
Simply magical. pic.twitter.com/1HPGcGasO0
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) December 12, 2024
There's no sugarcoating it - Zibanejad has not been good this season. While he has 21 points in 28 games, he has been on the bad end of many plays. According to ESPN, Zibanejad is 758th out of 773 in +/- rating at -14. He's had multiple games where he's been -4 this season, and specifically his defense has been criticized.
Regardless, it was a milestone type of night for the 31-year-old, and it could impact his play going forward. While getting your 300th goal won't magically cause his play to improve, Zibanejad has been showing life offensively as of late.
Zibanejad has points in five of his last six games (one goal, five assists) and has been shooting the puck. Dating back to Nov. 30 against the Montreal Canadiens, the 31-year-old has at least two shots in every game; his five led the Rangers against Buffalo.
Moreover, Zibanejad's goal was his first in five games. Throughout his time with the Rangers, he has been a prolific goalscorer, but not this season. After last night, he has six goals. But, the center is known to be streaky with his goalscoring and can get going.
The other day, the New York Post's Larry Brooks noted that Zibanejad is sensitive to what is being said about him. While there is no confirmation on this - and there won't be - any positive is a good thing for the center after his start to the season.
For Zibanejad, the way to get out of this funk, and the bad end of Rangers criticisms, is to stack good games, starting with last night against Buffalo. He's had some good performances as of late, including Wednesday night, Friday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins and the aforementioned Canadiens game. If he is able to continue playing well game after game, he will quickly become an integral part to this team.
This means improvement in multiple assets - 5v5 play offensively and defensively, along with converting on the power play like he did last night. Goal No. 300 might be just what Zibanejad needs to get going as the Rangers reach a crucial point in the season.