Relating to the 30-13-4 Rangers, scattered throughout the globe till they reconvene for follow on Feb. 11:
1. It's the late winter of 2020 once more for Mika Zibanejad, who might not be placing up fairly the loopy numbers he recorded earlier than the pandemic first hit almost two years in the past, however is taking part in at an elite stage at each ends of the ice just about night time after night time after night time.
When Zibanejad will get rolling, there isn't any Ranger you’d somewhat have the puck on his stick. He has elevated Chris Kreider’s recreation with one particular supply after one other for No. 20. His shot as soon as once more is a deadly weapon after having gone on an unannounced sabbatical the primary two months of the season.
The Swede’s rampage two years in the past resulted in 23 targets and 13 assists for 36 factors over the ultimate 22 video games of the truncated season. He scored targets on performs that had been meant to be centering passes. His capturing proportion hit an insane 26.4 mark over that stretch.
Now, No. 93 goes into the recess with 13 targets and 15 assists for 28 factors in 19 video games since Dec. 15. He's scoring targets on performs meant to be centering passes, reminiscent of on Tuesday night time on the Backyard when his two-on-one backhand feed meant for Ryan Reaves banked in off Florida defenseman Gustav Forsling to present the Blueshirts a 1-0 lead on the match’s first shift. His capturing proportion over these final 19 video games is at 21.0.
Furthermore, Zibanejad’s play with out the puck, his track-back from deep within the offensive zone to under the D-zone circles to interrupt up odd-man rushes has been inspirational. His 200-foot recreation has by no means been higher.
On a group with a Vezina contender in Igor Shesterkin, a Norris candidate in Adam Fox and a Rocket Richard front-runner in Kreider, no Ranger has been higher than Zibanejad, who's once more among the many league’s elite centermen.
2. I used to be about to say that Braden Schneider is essentially the most polished Rangers prospect I can recall since Ryan McDonagh made his debut halfway via 2010-11, and that very would possibly properly be true as pertains to the 20-year-old.
However that could be a disservice to Ok’Andre Miller, who has dealt with top-four minutes and top-four matchups since his first recreation as a professional, and whose recreation has taken on a tougher, extra bodily edge over the fortnight.
Generally all of us neglect: The 22-year-old has performed all of 100 video games of professional hockey, hopscotching immediately from his sophomore season at Wisconsin to an project as Jacob Trouba’s accomplice.
“I do know what I’m going to get from Trouba each night time however ‘Key’ is rising as much as be a person,” head coach Gerard Gallant mentioned Tuesday of Miller. “He’s rising, the child’s nonetheless not crammed out the way in which he’s going to be, however I like his recreation.
“He’s going to make errors, all of us make errors, however he’s taking part in slightly extra bodily, he’s bumping extra individuals, he’s clearing the entrance of the web and he’s assured with the puck now. So his recreation is rising for positive.”
3. Even when this had been all that Jeff Gorton left behind as basic supervisor, you would possibly wish to give that man a standing ovation: Ryan Lindgren coming from Boston on the 2018 deadline as a part of the Rick Nash return; buying and selling as much as choose Miller twenty second total on the 2018 draft; and buying and selling as much as choose Schneider nineteenth total in 2020.
Schneider’s ascension signifies that Nils Lundkvist turns into the blue chip most definitely to be performed approaching this 12 months’s March 21 deadline.
If the Rangers want to bulk up on the left facet of their protection, maybe a puck-mover who can beat a tough forecheck is preferable to including dimension for dimension’s sake?
4. The Rangers had all kinds of hassle in opposition to Calgary early within the 12 months when the Flames had been firing, had been run out of the rink twice by Colorado, couldn’t deal with Carolina for a big a part of their solely assembly and have hassle maintaining with Vegas.
However the Blueshirts are 2-1 in opposition to Florida, 2-1 in opposition to Toronto, 2-0 in opposition to Tampa Bay and 1-0 in opposition to Boston, so, A) the narrative concerning the Rangers not with the ability to compete in opposition to the higher echelon doesn't fairly maintain; and, B) I hereby declare the Blueshirts champions of the Atlantic Division.
5. There alternately has been the great (excellent) Alexandar Georgiev and the dangerous (typically fairly dangerous) Alexandar Georgiev, and the Rangers are going to have to have the ability to rely on No. 40 in his function of backup the remainder of the way in which.
Georgiev is in a down cycle once more, having misplaced his final three begins and 4 of his final 5, compiling a 3.66 GAA and .871 save proportion over that span. That merely is not going to do.
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