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The 2024-25 season has not been the kindest to Mika Zibanejad, though he has been trying to correct that since the holiday break ended by getting shots on net.
That paid off for Zibanejad on Thursday night in the Rangers’ 2-1 win over the Bruins, when he scored nearly 10 minutes into the game to give the Blueshirts a lead.
The evening marked the second time in the past three games that the Swedish center had put a high volume of shots on net.
Zibanejad recorded four shots in Thursday’s win and had five against the Lightning coming out of the NHL’s holiday break.
Following practice Friday, Rangers coach Peter Laviolette noted Zibanejad’s speed has helped him generate more shots recently.
“I think that mindset of delivering pucks — whether it goes in or not — create something,” Laviolette said. “Opportunity, second opportunity, offensive zone time, not playing defense. So there’s good things that come from delivering the puck.”
The performance was one of Zibanejad’s better ones in the win over Boston in the 18:46 of ice time he had.
The Rangers center also recorded his 700th career point with his first-period goal, becoming the 15th Swedish player in league history to reach the milestone.
Zibanejad will have another chance at a milestone Saturday in Washington should he tally an assist against the Capitals, which would be his 400th career assist.
Teammate Reilly Smith just hopes Thursday was the start of a breakthrough for Zibanejad, who has just 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 37 games this year.
“He does everything for us,” Smith said after the win Thursday. “He’s definitely very deserving of putting the puck into the net. Hopefully, it’s just the start and they start coming in waves for him.”
Vincent Trocheck and Chris Kreider were both given maintenance days Friday and did not practice before heading off to Washington for a matinee with the Capitals.
Laviolette reiterated that it was maintenance day when he spoke with reporters and indicated that the two would be ready to play in Saturday’s Metropolitan Division showdown.
There was a bit of a lighthearted mood in the air during the Rangers’ practice following their win over the Bruins and that included a playful tussle between Matt Rempe and K’Andre Miller.
The two yanked at each other’s jerseys in a joking manner as smiles were easily visible on the pair’s faces.
Rempe currently is in the middle of serving an eight-game suspension for a hit he laid on Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen in a game late last month.
Miller returned to action after the break ended after missing six games with an upper-body injury.
