There was a moment at the end of the New York Rangers victory in the Winter Classic that opened my eyes. Mika Zibanejad had just deposited his third goal of the game, completing the first hat trick in Winter Classic history. Of course I cheered, but the first words that came out of my mouth were “about time, man Zibanejad needed that.”
My wife, who was walking past the room, exclaimed “Mika! Did you say a nice thing about Mika?” Zibanejad is one of the few Rangers she knows, as since we met in 2021, he’s been a constant. She was there when he was a clear top center in the NHL, and she’s here as he’s declined. Next, she said “it’s nice to hear you say nice things about Mika again. You used to love him so much.”
The saying goes that the wife is always right, and this was no exception. Mika Zibanejad used to be one of my favorite Rangers. I like to think he still is, but there isn’t that same thrill watching him play. I no longer expect him to score, I mostly just hope he will. It’s a disappointing change in my relationship as a fan.
The point of this article is not to harp on Zibanejad’s decline. It’s a natural decline for a player aging, and if anything it appears Zibanejad’s done everything possible to slow down that decline. Instead, it’s to give Zibanejad his flowers.
When talking about Mika Zibanejad, we’re talking about a strong playoff performer. He scored a playoff overtime goal, a late game-tying goal in a Game Seven, and he has consistently stepped up when it’s mattered most. This is a player who had a five goal game that included an overtime winner. Simply put, Mika Zibanejad has shown up since the day he became a Ranger.
Still, Mika had as horrible of a season as the Rangers did last season. Fans started to turn on him the same way they did with Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba, with the difference being that Zibanejad was less tradeable. It definitely appeared to wear on Zibanejad, who seemed a lot less happy to be a Ranger.
Now, Zibanejad seems more like himself. He’s producing like a legitimate top six forward, he’s joking around, and the fans are cheering him on. He may not be the same player he was when he scored five goals in a game, but he’s certainly playing well.
Hopefully there are future playoff performances in Zibanejad’s future with the Rangers. If not, I will try not to take for granted the remainder of his time on Broadway. He deserves all the credit he gets for his time here, and I feel guilty for ever forgetting that.
And hey, don’t you ever forget it: the wife is always right! (Hopefully she doesn’t read this though, I don’t want her getting any ideas that I’ll listen to just about everything she says!)