Player Discussion Mika Zibanejad

[duhmetreE]

@Amazing Kreiderman or @Edge can you use your pull to find out what his diet is. That'd be great.

or we can spam Vince's twitter

 

[mas0764]

I'm actually beginning to worry this is the 'new normal'.

He's been a shell of himself since Covid ( and I mean when thing got shutdown ). He got scorching hot against crap teams/defenses

NJ, PHI, BUF - 24games - 15G | 19A | 34PTS
NYI, WAS, PIT, BOS, - 32 Games - 9G | 7A | 16PTS

was his hot streak fools gold? for the sake of the team I hope I'm dead wrong and he turns back into a beast.

It's not even that he's snakebit and not scoring like Kakko.

He's just.... not really doing much. It doesn't seem like he's driving play and generating possession and chances.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

I actually thought he had a few shifts last night that were better.

Same issue he had when he had Covid, he isnt getting enough shots.

He needs to get shots

 

[will1066]

I actually thought he had a few shifts last night that were better.

Same issue he had when he had Covid, he isnt getting enough shots.

He needs to get shots

Like a booster?

 

[duhmetreE]

Bring him back to the basics. I remember the 2way workhorse Zibs.... when he was playing with Fast and Names. I really think Hunt would help him over time.

It should be top priority to figure out how to get him going. Let him simplify his game and grind it out.

 

[will1066]

Bring him back to the basics. I remember the 2way workhorse Zibs.... when he was playing with Fast and Names. I really think Hunt would help him over time.

It should be top priority to figure out how to get him going. Let him simplify his game and grind it out.

Hunt will be the first to get in on the forecheck, which would help him and Kreider. Kakko doesn't have quite the motor to get in and be the first to retrieve. Kakko's forte is takeaways.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Like a booster?

I got mine yesterday, with a Flu shot too.

I'm quite toasty today

 

[mulli25]

The guy can't control to the puck. I can't recall ever seeing so many plays die on his stick.

 

[CLW]

The guy can't control to the puck. I can't recall ever seeing so many plays die on his stick.

I don't know what is going on. There was one shift in the second game against CHI where he had three turnovers in the d zone on the same shift. After the last one he went into the corner to fight for the puck and just bounced off Dylan Strome and sat down on his ass.

I don't know what's wrong but he needs to snap out of it. If that was one of our kids the sh*t would hit the fan for sure.

 

[will1066]

Phone battery at 93%. Maybe it's a sign.

 

[Off Sides]

Phone battery at 93%. Maybe it's a sign.

 

[excaliber]

Mika looks out of sorts right now. He hasn't been lighting it up but he's not been terrible either. His timing is off as Panarin has dished him some great chances only to see Mika fan or miss the net.

He's lacking confidence for sure. He seems like he's playing like a scolded dog after Gallant chewed him out for complaining about a missed call.
I wouldn't be too worried about him just yet. I think the 8 yr.contract he got was a really bad move by the FO.

 

[molotce]

Hunt will be the first to get in on the forecheck, which would help him and Kreider. Kakko doesn't have quite the motor to get in and be the first to retrieve. Kakko's forte is takeaways.

I agree and takeaways seem to worked well for awhile before the change on panarin’s line. Maybe switch back with hunt

 

[TheDirtyH]

I'll say he looked a lot better live than on TV. He really does look engaged, more focused on his checking and definitely is pulling the same rope as the team as far as its nascent identity.

Like the rest of the team, he's not getting as many chances off the rush. In the zone, along with Kakko and Kreider, he's been effective at continuing the cycle and I think his forecheck has improved. But he's not shooting in the zone.

I do think he's playing 'the right way,' and I think it'll just take getting some pucks to go in to regain some confidence. I see a player who isn't sure he can beat a goalie without the getting him moving first. There's so many forced passes where I've never seen him hesitate to shoot before.

A few pucks go in, he heats up, and maybe he starts buying into the offensive side of this Gallant team. We've already seen Panarin go through some growing pains and make adjustments and now he's firing on all cylinders.

These are the splits between the first stretch of the season when we were getting our feet under us, and then after the Florida game--ie. since we began our run of exceptional play. What I'm paying most attention to is the iCF, iFF, and iSF cells specifically. Panarin has been shooting over 3X as much 5v5 while Zibanejad is staying pretty stagnant. Interestingly enough, Panarin's been taking substantially more attempts at net than at the beginning of the season, with both his Fenwick and Corsi nearly doubling. Zibanejad's iCF has actually dropped over the same stretch.

 

[Paulie Walnutz]

 

[Rempe73]

He’s slowly getting more involved offensively but he’s still so damn tame. I still believe in him, but his skill looks gone. Like wtf.

 

[3rd Guy High]

8 more years after this one. Big oof

 

[The S5]

So the Covid excuse from last season can finally be put to bed. Looks like Mika is a player that will disappear for long stretches followed up by torrid stretches of scoring. Let's hope the scoring stretch happens come playoff time.

 

[jay from jersey]

Would have absolutely rather traded for Eichel and tried to move Zibby this season. Pretty sure he would have waived to a team giving him a fat cat contract like we did, but that’s water under the bridge now, he’s going to be here for a while.
He’s not absolutely terrible this year so far, but this season he’s been a passenger far more then a play driver.
The biggest noticeable thing for me, especially 5 v 5 is that he’s not shooting much. His first instinct is to pass, and that’s really not what he’s needed for or why we signed him.
I’m wondering if his shoulder or something is bothering him a bit. Even on the PP, which he’s leaned on a lot this season for his offense, his first instinct is to pass rather then Tee it up and rip it.
He’s trying to be Panarin and thread the needle on a pass or make the cute play rather then Just take the shot.
Not doubt he’s been a little unlucky in the Goal scoring department, which I’m sure isn’t helping with his confidence. He had some open nets and tap in goals that just haven’t gone his way. The goalie will either make a spectacular save or the shot will be blocked, miss the net,, etc
As the rangers PP keeps playing well and Kreids get more attention in front or panarin and fox draw more to them, hopefully he’ll get some open looks to start one timing it off the pass again.
His compete/battle level has really sucked to start the season.
You can see that he’s been playing better recently, but he’s still not were he needs to be.
That physical, bull in a china shop version of Zibby we all saw and loved 3 -3 and a half years ago isn’t coming back.
He’s Does his best to avoid contact now, not initiate it.
Hopefully he heats up and we see a Version of Zibby between the old one, and what we see now.

 

[duhmetreE]

I’m tired of MSG telling me how good he’s been defensively. He’s been decent on the PK but his ‘complete 2way game’ has been average at best.

this is what we’re striving for, with our 70M goal scorer.

 

[Chimpradamus]

Again, have some patience. Buchnevich was a big part of that line and we still don't know who the replacement will be. Maybe Kakko, but who knows? And Kakko isn't as good as Buchnevich right now. That kind of chemistry that Zibanejad and Buchnevich had was special.

 

[MyLoveIsBlue]

Any discussion concerning Mika's timid play and avoidance of contact should include his concussion history. I believe the concussions, not the Covid is the cause of his current play.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Panarin got hurt and Mika slides in his spot on the PP.

First chance he had on the PP he hooks up with Kreider on that patented screenshot goal, we saw plenty of those timing plays in the past, same accurate Mika shot short-side over the right shoulder with the screen in front.

Hate to see Panarin out for any period of time but maybe this gets Mika shooting (and scoring) a little more again. Cant hurt

 

[mas0764]

Would have absolutely rather traded for Eichel and tried to move Zibby this season.

We were going that way - either that, or keeping both and moving someone else (Kreider, Trouba) - but Buffalo refused to trade him here.

And our packages - reported on by Vince - were better than Vegas's.

Buffalo just said F it, we're not going to let the fat cat Rangers take our players. Eichel wanted to come here and they clearly were pissed at him as well and sent him somewhere he didn't want to be.

I guess for all the shit I give the front office I do have to credit them that they know they need a young elite center, hence their pursuit of Eichel.

 

[Peltz]

Panarin got hurt and Mika slides in his spot on the PP.

First chance he had on the PP he hooks up with Kreider on that patented screenshot goal, we saw plenty of those timing plays in the past, same accurate Mika shot short-side over the right shoulder with the screen in front.

Hate to see Panarin out for any period of time but maybe this gets Mika shooting (and scoring) a little more again. Cant hurt

Y'all remember this goal?



Mika's shot is absolutely lethal from nearly everywhere in the offensive zone, especially when he can step into it off the one-timer. He's tried to score all of his goals down low this year before last game (where he's also pretty lethal in the past to be fair) but has been completely ignoring this aspect of his game.

He's only of the only forwards that can beat goalies from above the top of the circles with no screen. But he stopped shooting from the outside for whatever reason. Gotta be honest, I really don't think his game has been bad at all this year, just not enough shots. He's winning puck battles and skating well on most shifts.

I think, if anything, he read too much online criticism about trying to score from outside the slot and let it get into his head too much. The man should just shoot more.