Mika Zibanejad

[Bgav]

What happened to Mika? Didn’t follow the Rangers too closely in the regular season, he looks like a complete shell of his former self.

He’s made a ton of bonehead decisions with the puck this series. Rangers will need this guy to step up if they want to beat the Panthers. He’s ppg so far but -1. Am I out to lunch here, or has he been a disappointment for the Rangers so far? (This playoffs)

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[HolyHagelin]

Scored a lot first 5 games. Disappearing act since. Awful.

 

[Grifter3511]

He feeds on lesser matchups and power plays and wilts against legit matchups. It's who he's always been. Just getting more pronounced as he gets older now.

 

[Neil Racki]

His 2024 playoff run isn’t done yet. i think he pots a couple before this series is over. He can score in bunches and the due factor is due.

 

[Hockeyholic]

He's not a guy who should be a #1 C on any cup hopeful. He would be a perfect #2. There's too many D man on that team also plying in spots they should not be.

He's a soft perimeter player vs the toughest forechecking team in the league. That doesn't help.

 

[Blueshirt13]

Besides all that was said above, he’s also a very streaky player that will score goals in spurts and then be quiet for a few games. He doesn’t handle physicality well and typically gets a lot of his points on the power play, which has not been too productive of late

 

[tabness]

dude has looked so bad this series and that soft ass pass across the blueline leading to Wheeler taking the penalty when he could have just dumped it in if he didn't think he could connect with the guy cutting into the slot was the softest play I have seen in the playoffs since Nylander avoided the hit chasing the puck in the corner a couple years ago (and at least Nylander scored a couple times in the game afterwards)

 

[Machinehead]

He's extremely streaky and he's always switched back and forth between prime Lindros and not-prime Stefan.

Like, that's Mika in a nutshell.

 

[zar]

He’s as streaky a player as I’ve seen.

If he gets one, he’ll probably get 3.

 

[Machinehead]

He's not a guy who should be a #1 C on any cup hopeful. He would be a perfect #2.

I mean, he is...

 

[Arthur Morgan]

dude has looked so bad this series and that soft ass pass across the blueline leading to Wheeler taking the penalty when he could have just dumped it in if he didn't think he could connect with the guy cutting into the slot was the softest play I have seen in the playoffs since Nylander avoided the hit chasing the puck in the corner a couple years ago (and at least Nylander scored a couple times in the game afterwards)

THE HORROR, I almost forgot about this lol

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

I mean, he is...

Is trocheck getting the tougher matchups?
( genuinely curious)


Zib is a good player not an ideal 1C but in a salary cap its hard to have every position super stacked , rags are still a great team

 

[Machinehead]

Is trocheck getting the tougher matchups?
( genuinely curious)


Zib is a good player not an ideal 1C but in a salary cap its hard to have every position super stacked , rags are still a great team

Trocheck plays like three more minutes per game.

At this point, it's not even really close. Trocheck is our 1C.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

I don’t trust Zibby and Panarin in playoffs. Said it before, say it again.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Would agree that Trocheck is better than Zibanejad at this point. He's also never really been a 5v5 producer like that if you watched his career with NYR, playoffs become tighter. The last 2 playoff he's gone against Hischier/Barkov/Aho or Staal (not sure who CAR matched him with but that's still brutal regardless who it is) in defensive matchups as well. A lot of elite centers would wilt under those guys stick checking them game to game let alone a guy like Zib who isn't that great 5v5 to begin with.

 

[Hockeyholic]

I mean, he is...

He's the Rangers #1 C I thought.

Or is that Trocheck now?

 

[Osakahaus]

Zibanajed is honestly the biggest case of "why cant you do this every game?" for the Rangers. I remember he was lambasted hard due to his inability to actually get a non-PP goal as well

 

[Irishguy42]

Is trocheck getting the tougher matchups?
( genuinely curious)

According to NST, the Top 6 F & 4 D that Trocheck has seen this series at 5v5:
F - Verhaeghe (22:55), Lundell (19:19), Barkov (19:04), Luostarinen (18:19), Tkachuk (18:10), Reinhart (17:40)
D - Montour (28:55), Mikkola (26:18), Forsling (22:52), Ekblad (21:12)

According to NST, the Top 6 F & 4 D that Zibanejad has seen this series at 5v5:
F - Reinhart (30:58), Barkov (30:22), Verhaeghe (19:46), Tarasenko (19:16), Tkachuk (19:01), Bennett (18:43)
D - Ekblad (37:01), Forsling (36:40) , Montour (19:45), Mikkola (16:16)

I will let Panthers players go into this more since they know their lines better than I do.

Spoiler: Collapsing the full images for mobile users

 

[Grifter3511]

He's the Rangers #1 C I thought.

Or is that Trocheck now?

During regular season trochek averaged almost 2 minutes more per game than Zibanejad. Trochek centers panarin and Lafreniere. Zibanejad centers kreider and whichever bottom six winger they choose to try next to get zib/kreider going.

 

[Grifter3511]

According to NST, the Top 6 F & 4 D that Trocheck has seen this series at 5v5:
F - Verhaeghe (22:55), Lundell (19:19), Barkov (19:04), Luostarinen (18:19), Tkachuk (18:10), Reinhart (17:40)
D - Montour (28:55), Mikkola (26:18), Forsling (22:52), Ekblad (21:12)

According to NST, the Top 6 F & 4 D that Zibanejad has seen this series at 5v5:
F - Reinhart (30:58), Barkov (30:22), Verhaeghe (19:46), Tarasenko (19:16), Tkachuk (19:01), Bennett (18:43)
D - Ekblad (37:01), Forsling (36:40) , Montour (19:45), Mikkola (16:16)

I will let Panthers players go into this more since they know their lines better than I do.

Spoiler: Collapsing the full images for mobile users

View attachment 877220View attachment 877221

Zib and Kreider are still super responsible defensively so makes sense they'd get some tougher matchups to hopefully free up the significantly more productive 5v5 line of pan/tro/laf

 

[Catscountry40]

According to NST, the Top 6 F & 4 D that Trocheck has seen this series at 5v5:
F - Verhaeghe (22:55), Lundell (19:19), Barkov (19:04), Luostarinen (18:19), Tkachuk (18:10), Reinhart (17:40)
D - Montour (28:55), Mikkola (26:18), Forsling (22:52), Ekblad (21:12)

According to NST, the Top 6 F & 4 D that Zibanejad has seen this series at 5v5:
F - Reinhart (30:58), Barkov (30:22), Verhaeghe (19:46), Tarasenko (19:16), Tkachuk (19:01), Bennett (18:43)
D - Ekblad (37:01), Forsling (36:40) , Montour (19:45), Mikkola (16:16)

I will let Panthers players go into this more since they know their lines better than I do.

Spoiler: Collapsing the full images for mobile users

View attachment 877220View attachment 877221

Barkov and Rino were 1st and 5th in Selke votes (Rino was 2nd first place votes) That is tough match up for Zib

 

[Ace of Hades]

He's been garbage the whole playoffs.

Complete diving no-show.

 

[Bgav]

He's been garbage the whole playoffs.

Complete diving no-show.

Dude just gave up on the empty netter

 

[Ace of Hades]

Dude just gave up on the empty netter

He was busy diving, trying to get a call over performing for his team.

 

[tabness]

guy sits on the bench with a look of a stoned yoga instructor pondering the mysteries of the universe