The New York Rangers emerged victorious against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday evening, securing a 4-3 overtime win. Despite holding a two-goal advantage heading into the third period, the Blueshirts’ sloppy performance allowed the NHL’s lowest-ranked team to mount a comeback. Fortunately, a remarkable goal by one of the team’s seasoned players clinched the win in overtime.
While some fans may celebrate Zibanejad’s new record-setting goal, others argue that this accomplishment doesn’t overshadow his inconsistent performance, which has been a recurring issue for the Blueshirts this season. His overtime goal on Friday marked only his 16th of the year and his first even-strength goal since December 23rd.
Zibanejad’s struggles have significantly impacted the Rangers. Both he and Chris Kreider have struggled to maintain a consistent level of productivity, particularly in meshing with any right winger assigned to them on the first line. Additionally, Zibanejad’s role as a primary scorer on the power play has been underwhelming, with his unit failing to produce enough goals in recent weeks.
Although the Rangers now boast a new leader in power-play goals, Zibanejad still has much ground to cover before this season can be deemed a success for him.