SUNRISE, Fla. — Head coach Peter Laviolette has experimented with taking a struggling Mika Zibanejad off the primary power-play unit mid-game earlier than, most not too long ago throughout Saturday evening’s 6-2 loss at Tampa Bay.
Throughout a fast-paced follow on Sunday, nevertheless, Zibanejad was demoted to the second unit in a uncommon personnel change.
Requested if he was upset to be taken out of a spot he’s occupied for a majority of his nine-year tenure in New York, the Swedish heart was frank.
“I don’t think there’s time for that right now,” he stated after the Rangers wrapped up follow, forward of their matchup with the Panthers on Monday evening. “This has nothing to do with me personally or one thing that I’m going to make about myself. We’re not in a spot in our season to really feel sorry for your self or to be like that. It’s a unique alternative, it’s one other alternative for that unit with [Alexis Lafreniere] arising — and deservedly so.
“Honestly, just for me, to help the unit that I’m playing on and we go from there.”
The Blueshirts energy play has been a shell of itself, very like the remainder of the staff’s sport.
Not solely have they not scored as soon as of their previous 20 man-advantage alternatives over the previous seven video games, however their 17.9 power-play share was ranked twenty second within the NHL getting into Sunday evening’s slate of video games.
Since Nov. 14, simply earlier than the 2-2 highway journey out west that prompted president and normal supervisor Chris Drury’s league-wide commerce memo, the Rangers energy play is 6-for-53 with a staggering 4 shorthanded objectives towards.
After scoring 5 instances by the primary 5 video games of the season, they’ve gone 12-for-81 (14.8 %).
Solely seven groups have had fewer power-play possibilities than the Rangers’ 95, which is a testomony to how little the staff has had the puck throughout this abysmal 4-14 stretch.
Laviolette has lastly taken motion and swapped Zibanejad with Lafreniere, who joins Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin, Adam Fox and Vincent Trocheck to make up the Rangers’ high power-play unit.
The second unit was then made up of Zibanejad, Ok’Andre Miller, Will Cuylle, Reilly Smith and Filip Chytil.
“It’s not working,” Laviolette stated. “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.”
There was no dialog with the teaching employees in regards to the demotion, in response to Zibanejad, however the 31-year-old assumed it was coming given the truth that the change was made towards the Lightning and the state of the ability play.
Zibanejad burdened that everybody, from the decision-makers to the gamers, are simply looking for a method to win.
If this adjustment goes to assist them win, he stated, then he doesn’t thoughts not getting out on the ice if the new-look first unit scores.
Essentially the most logical alternative for the change was Zibanejad, who has scored only one aim up to now 12 video games.
His two power-play objectives — and 6 whole objectives — on the season reveal simply how a lot he has struggled offensively in all conditions.
“It’s been up and down,” Zibanejad stated of how he’d assess the ability play currently. “I assumed we’ve been having some beauty, however then we are able to’t get into the zone. … A bit bit too difficult at instances. I feel a number of areas have been irritating, while you don’t get the outcome and while you don’t get the objectives and the momentum from it.
“Just got to go back and simplify. We know what kind of power play we have and what we’re capable of doing. Just simplify it and go from there.”
