Blueshirts on a 5-1-0 Run
Since dropping four games in a row in mid November, the Rangers have found a groove heading into a weekend of big tests at home, their only loss in the last six contests coming against a surging Tampa Bay Lightning squad that held them to just 13 shots on goal in a 4-1 loss at home. Over that stretch, they’ve knocked off two top teams in the league in Carolina and Dallas, who sit fifth and second in the league respectively.
Tomorrow starts a huge back to back at home. The Rangers face the league leading Colorado Avalanche at noon on Saturday, followed by the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday night.
Gavrikov Making Big Impact in Lieu of Fox
If Adam Fox is going to be one of those guys that misses time every year, the Rangers can sleep better at night knowing they have guys who step up in his absence. His talent can’t be replaced, but the D core has done well replacing his minutes by committee, and no one has been as impactful as Vladislav Gavrikov.
The first year Ranger is known for his tight defensive game, but he’s been chipping in some offense lately, joining the rush, finding himself in the net front, and, most importantly, scoring goals. Vlad has scored in back to back games since Fox was injured, has 3 goals in his last 4 games, and 5 points in his last 6. He’s played over 25 minutes 7 times so far this season, and that might become the norm as long as Fox is out. He’s just doing everything for the blueshirts right now.
Zibanejad Quietly Improving His All-Around Game
Mika Zibanejad has been noticeably more effective in games this season than he was last. The details of his game are coming together and the compete level appears to have elevated. His game against Dallas in a 3-2 overtime win was one of his more complete performances I’ve seen in years according to my eye test, and he followed it up with a big performance in his old home of Ottawa, giving the Rangers the lead with a goal just three minutes into the game.
If the points start coming a little more frequently and Mika can maintain the way he’s been playing over the course of the season, this could be one of his best campaigns of his career. He tied Ron Greschner for seventh on the all time points list for the franchise with that goal Thursday night, his 610th point as a Ranger.
Panarin Notches Milestone, Heating Up in Contract Year
Artemi Panarin got his 900th career point in Ottawa Thursday night by way of an empty net goal. He’s scoring points in bunches lately, with four multi-point efforts in his last five games. He’s just over a point per game on the season with 30 in 29 games, and he’s taken over the quarterback role on the power play in Fox’s absence.
With his pending free agency still looming and seemingly no progress being made on an extension, Panarin is building his case to cash in one more time on a big ticket as a 34 year old. The Rangers are very much in the playoff hunt still and seem to be trending upwards, so I wouldn’t expect anything to develop on that front any time soon. There’s been some rumors about Panarin leveraging a potential return to Russia, but I don’t know if I buy it. It’s a situation to keep an eye on as the campaign rolls on.
Fox’s Injury is Upper Body, Should be Available for Olympics
The good news in a shitty situation for the Rangers is that Adam Fox’s injury is not lower body in nature. LBIs had been seemingly piling up for fox over the last few years, so it’s good to know that isn’t the case this time. No injury is a good injury, but it’s important for the longevity of Fox’s elite production that lower body injuries don’t compound themselves.
There are rumors that the Rangers are kicking tires on potential power play quarterbacks to fill the void while Fox is hurt. Insider Elliotte Friedman mentioned former Ranger Erik Gustafsson as an option on his podcast. Gus did a good job filling that role when Fox got hurt in 23-24, and is currently in the AHL with Grand Rapids. I don’t think it’s necessary, but we’ll see what happens.
The Morning Skate 