The New York Rangers cannot find their footing and continue to descend into the NHL‘s deepest lows with each loss. After the awful loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, head coach Peter Laviolette issued a change in the team’s special teams in hopes of lighting a fire under the team. Mika Zibanejad was dropped off the Rangers’ top power play unit, however, the Swede sent the team a clear message.
The Rangers are stuck in the league’s basement. Following the loss to the Lightning, and along with the Islanders win, the Broadway Blueshirts are in sole possession of the last place in the Metropolitan Division. It’s been quite a deflating fall for the current Presidents’ Trophy winners, and Peter Laviolette has decided to take matters into his own hands.
Zibanejad has had a terrible season for the Rangers, so far. The 31-year-old center tallies 6 goals and 15 assists through 35 games in the NHL campaign. Adding to his woes, he’s currently mired in a seven-game pointless streak, with his last contribution coming on Dec. 11 against the Buffalo Sabres. His struggles have been crystal-clear and the outcry in the Big Apple was loud for Zibanejad to serve as a healthy scratch.
Laviolette didn’t go as far as that, but did make his frustration with Zibanejad’s performance clear. As the Rangers prepare to face the Florida Panthers on Dec. 30, Laviolette has opted to remove Zibanejad from the first power-play unit, replacing him with Alexis Lafrenière. Regardless, Zibanejad issued an honest statement on the coach’s decision.
Mika Zibanejad #93 of the New York Rangers skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 3rd period in an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on October 19, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Rangers defeated the Maple Leafs 4-1.
Mika Zibanejad #93 of the New York Rangers skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 3rd period in an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on October 19, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Rangers defeated the Maple Leafs 4-1.
“I don’t think there’s time for that right now. This has nothing to do with me personally or something that I’m going to make about myself. We’re not in a place in our season to feel sorry for yourself,” Mika Zibanejad told Mollie Walker of The New York Post. “It’s a different opportunity, it’s another opportunity for that unit with [Lafrenière] coming up, and deservedly so. Honestly, just for me, to help the unit that I’m playing on and we go from there.”
NHL News: K’Andre Miller sends strong wake up call to Rangers HC Peter Laviolette, teammates
After healthy scratching big names like Kaapo Kakko and Chris Kreider didn’t work out for the Rangers, Laviolette has made a change to the team’s power play which is operating at a pathetic 17.9% rate.
Laviolette explains his decision
The power play has become a huge issue of concern for Laviolette and the Rangers. Once a force to be reckoned with in the NHL, New York’s man-advantage unit has struggled tremendously this season.
The Rangers haven’t scored a power-play goal since their December 11 matchup against the Sabres. Ironically, it was Zibanejad who netted that goal. Since, the Rangers have gone 0-for-23 on the power play. Changes were desperately needed, and Laviolette hopes his intervention hasn’t come too late to turn the tide.
“It’s not working,” Laviolette told reporters after the team’s practice in Fort Lauderdale. “We’re working on things, we’re trying things. If eventually they’re not working, you have to move things around a little bit. I don’t know if it’s permanent or not, but right now it’s where it’s at.”
Head coach Peter Laviolette of the New York Rangers speaks with the media at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Head coach Peter Laviolette of the New York Rangers speaks with the media at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
When taking on the Panthers on Monday night, the Rangers will have to be careful during the odd-man scenarios. While Florida registers an 81% PK, which ranks fourteenth in the league, the Cats lead the NHL in short-handed goals with 10 tallies.
K’Andre Miller sends bold statement to the locker room
New York hoped to flip the script on their season upon its return from the Christmas break. However, the Rangers were greeted with a whooping defeat by the Lighting at Amalie Arena. Frustration is mounting in the locker room, and defenseman K’Andre Miller issued a blunt admission to his teammates.
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“That’s something this group maybe has lost a little bit. That pushback,” Miller stated after the game, via The New York Post. “We’ve all been in games where we’re losing. I don’t think just because we’re losing in a game, doesn’t mean we’ve lost the game. I liked what we did overall. I think it’s just we can bring a little bit more.”
Both Florida and New York will bring urgency to their upcoming matchup, as both teams are desperate for wins to get back on track, though the two organizations are in very different situations.
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The reigning Stanley Cup champions have dropped consecutive games by a score of 4-0 and will look to end their scoring drought against a Rangers team that has conceded 14 goals over their last three games.
