N.Y. Rangers: Mika Zibanejad Making Himself Center Of Attention

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

We Finally Have Good News To Report

WEDNESDAY

New York Rangers

vs.

Chicago Blackhawks

FROM

The City That Invented 

Pizza Soup

NEW YORK RANGERS: Deal To Acquire Mika Zibanejad Getting Better By The Game.

That's what I'm talking about! 

I'm still no fan of Alain Vigneault, but I'll play nice.  Regardless of coach, six straight wins is something to rejoice.  Five coming against very solid opponents: Golden Knights, Lightning, Blue Jackets, Bruins, and Oilers.  The Florida Panthers ... not so much. 

How about going on the road and taking care of the Blackhawks now ...

*

Mika Zibanejad's next game (Wednesday night inn Chicago?) will be his 19th of the season. 

Zibanejad sustained a broken fibula during his 19th game of the season last year, limiting him to just 56 games, in which he still managed 14 goals and 37 points.

He started last season strongly, with 15 points in his first 19 games before getting hurt on Nov. 20 against the Panthers at Madison Square Garden.  Upon his return on Jan. 20, he managed ten points in his first 25 games back, but then closed out the regular season strongly again with ten points in his final 12 games.

Derick Brassard, meanwhile, worked a full schedule last season for Ottawa, yet managed no better than Zibanejad with 14 goals and 39 points in 81 games.  Mind you, Brassard was a 27 goal scorer just two seasons ago for the Rangers.  He just turned 30-years old this past September, and is off to a fine start so far this season with six goals and 15 points in 16 games.  That could potentially translate into his first ever 30-goal season.  However, unlike his time with the Rangers, he remains a virtual non-entity on the Senators power play for a second straight season.

Zibanejad, 24-years old, is six years younger than Brassard.  We're almost a quarter of the way through the regular season and he leads the Rangers with 18 points, (eight goals) through the team's first 18 games.  Ten of those points (five goals, five assists) have come on the power play.  He is not the top line center this organization for so long has desperately lacked.  At least not yet.  But, he may be on his way towards an 80-point season which is more than I've been able to say (or fantasize) about a Rangers forward for quite some time.

For the moment, he's fulfilling the role of being first line center.  By next Spring, we might be raking in one hell of a return considering the Rangers also sent a seventh round pick to Ottawa in exchange for their number two.

So, yeah, this deal is absolutely getting better by the game.