The New York Rangers are in last place in the Eastern Conference and have struggled to get on track this season. However, they do have three players competing in the Olympics, including Mika Zibanejad, who is having a bounce-back season for New York and also played at a high level for Sweden in the Olympics.
Zibanejad’s Play in the Olympics
After finishing with 39 goals and 52 assists in 82 games in 2022-23 and 26 goals and 46 assists in 81 games in 2023-24, Zibanejad had just 20 goals and 42 assists last season. More alarmingly, after being one of the team’s best defensive forwards throughout his time with the Rangers, he repeatedly made uncharacteristic giveaways and defensive mistakes last season.
This season, Zibanejad has gotten back on track and produced offensively while playing much better defensively, even though many of his teammates have struggled or missed extended time with injuries. He carried that momentum into the Olympics and was one of Sweden’s best players.
Zibanejad was the center on a line with Lucas Raymond from the Detroit Red Wings and Gabriel Landeskog from the Colorado Avalanche. They quickly formed chemistry as Zibanejad assisted on a Landeskog goal to tie the score at one in their first game against Italy. With the score 3-2 late in the third, he scored his first goal of the tournament on a shot from the point to extend the lead, and they went on to win 5-2.
Related: Top 10 Swedes in the NHL Today
Sweden lost their second game 4-1 to Finland, and Zibanejad was held without a point, but the team bounced back against Slovakia in its third game. He had an assist in their 5-3 victory and also made a few strong defensive plays.
Despite winning two of their three games, Sweden lost out on a tiebreaker as Slovakia and Finland also won two of their three games. Sweden beat Latvia 5-1 in its qualification round matchup, and Zibanejad assisted on a Landeskog goal to give them a 2-0 lead. He also scored a goal on a slap shot to give them a 4-1 lead early in the third period.
Sweden’s win over Latvia set up a quarterfinal matchup with the United States, which featured a lot of star power. Zibanejad once again made a few key defensive plays, and with his team down 1-0, he scored the game-tying goal with 1:31 left in the third period on another accurate slap shot. Though Quinn Hughes won it for the United States in overtime, it was another impressive performance by Zibanejad.
Zibanejad’s Play With the Rangers This Season
Last season, Zibanejad struggled to get his shots on goal, often fanning on slap shots, but this season has been far more accurate and has steadily produced offensively. He leads the Rangers with 23 goals and 11 power-play goals. He and Artemi Panarin were excellent together on the power play before Panarin was traded to the Los Angeles Kings just before the Olympics.
In addition to his offensive production, Zibanejad is a good skater, and he has played very well defensively. He backchecks, uses his reach to get into shooting and passing lanes, and he has cut down on the giveaways that plagued him last season. He has been strong on the penalty kill and even has two shorthanded goals.
The Rangers entered the season with three talented veteran centers, but both J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck missed time with injuries and have not produced the way they did last season. Zibanejad has been one of their most consistent players and has played like a number-one center this season. He has 23 goals and 29 assists in 56 games, and no other player except for Panarin has more than 36 points. He has produced offensively without sacrificing defense and without getting a lot of production from his teammates.
Zibanejad Has Been a Bright Spot for the Rangers and for Sweden
Zibanejad’s strong play has been a bright spot for the Rangers this season, and he continued his impressive play with Sweden in the Olympics. He finished with three goals and three assists in five games, including his clutch game-tying goal against the United States. Though Sweden came up short and New York has struggled this season, he deserves credit for his excellent play in both the NHL and the Olympics.
