The New York Rangers haven’t started off the 2024/25 NHL season as they expected. Although the Blueshirts are still near the top of the Metropolitan division, they have looked inconsistent and not close to their postseason form from last season. Mika Zibanejad has been among the most criticized players for the slow start, and the Swede acknowledged his shortcomings with a sincere admission.
Zibanejad was caught in the crossfire as the Rangers fell 6-3 to the Winnipeg Jets at Madison Square Garden. Mika was responsible for three giveaways that led to goals for the visiting team. However, the centerman’s struggles have been an ongoing issue since the puck dropped on this NHL campaign.
The Swede star recognized his struggles and delivered an emotional statement on how it’s affecting his play and confidence.
“You don’t want to have those nights, but it’s going to happen,” Zibanejad told reporters. “And it’s just the way you respond from it, learn from it, and move on. You’re expecting me; I’m expecting myself to play good every night I know I can play better. I can bury myself in negativity and make it even worse, or try to learn from it.”
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.
Zibanejad mysteriously left the game for some minutes
During the frustrating loss to Winnipeg, Zibanejad momentarily left the bench and headed to the locker room. With no apparent injury, fans wondered why one of New York’s best players had left; however, the Swede returned to the ice a couple of minutes later and revealed the reason for his brief absence.
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“I just felt off. I don’t know; I just felt off and needed a breather. And that was it. It was nothing major. So just felt off going into the face-off, and I missed a couple minutes and came back out, finished the game.”
Peter Laviolette’s comments after the game
Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette avoided throwing Zibanejad under the bus for his mistakes, but he did send a strong message to the center.
“Those incidents, they cost us tonight,” Laviolette commented. “I can’t speak for Mika and where he’s at. You’d have to ask him. I know that we count on Mika, he’s an impact player for us.“
