Zibanejad Returns to Rangers After Bench Incident
Mika Zibanejad made his comeback to the Rangers for their matchup with the Canucks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. However, he had been benched the night prior due to missing a team meeting.
“This is my 10th season,” Zibanejad said, sharing his thoughts on the situation. “I understand the expectations, but it was unfortunate. I got caught up in an accident. I truly hope everyone involved is alright. Rules are rules, and I was late. There’s not much else to say, really. That’s why I was delayed.”
On the second line, he played between Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere, recording two shots on goal and winning about 43% of his face-offs (6 out of 14) during 22 minutes and 15 seconds on the ice.
This kind of event isn’t rare in the NHL.
Last season, the Lightning’s Brayden Point was benched for missing a required meeting in January. Similarly, Blackhawks 2024 No. 2 overall pick Artyom Levshunov was injured after arriving late to practice.
The first episode of the NHL’s “Road to the Winter Classic,” shown on TNT, highlighted Zibanejad’s lengthy journey from New York City to the MSG Training Center in Tarrytown.
Coach Mike Sullivan kept quiet about whether this was a one-time issue for Zibanejad. Still, he assured that they had discussed it and were aligned on the outcome.
Meanwhile, Matthew Robertson has transitioned from being an afterthought to a steady presence in the lineup. He played his 17th consecutive game against the Canucks on Tuesday, finding his place in the Rangers’ third defensive pairing, nearly six and a half years since being drafted 49th overall in 2019.
Sullivan commented, “He’s made significant progress. I think he gains confidence every game. He has great mobility, size, and reach, which helps him defend effectively. When he’s at his best, he plays physically and moves the puck well. His breakout plays coming from the offensive blue line have also been impressive.”
“His puck movement is really aiding our game,” Sullivan added, noting Robertson’s growing confidence with each match.
The absence of Adam Fox for the foreseeable future has understandably led to some reshuffling on the Rangers’ defense.
On Tuesday night, Sullivan replaced Urho Vaakanainen with rookie Scott to partner with Robertson, leaving Vaakanainen scratched for the 15th time this season after previously playing the past two games.
Despite consistent trends from last season, the Rangers continue to struggle with scoring. They have the league’s highest shutout rate with six across 34 games, yet averaged only 2.59 points per game against the Canucks, placing them fourth lowest in the league, trailing behind the Blues, Flames, and Kraken.
This matchup against the Canucks came just four days after captain Quinn Hughes was traded to Minnesota.
Alongside the absence of Hughes, Vancouver was also missing former Rangers players Filip Chytil, Elias Pettersson, Teddy Blueger, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, and Derek Forbort.
