Blueshirts on a 5-1-0 run
Since dropping four straight games in mid-November, the Rangers have found a good groove heading into a weekend of big tests at home. Their only loss in the last six games came against a surging Tampa Bay Lightning side who held them to just thirteen shots on goal in a 4-1 loss at home. In that span, they’ve knocked off two of the league’s top teams in Carolina and Dallas, who are ranked fifth and second in the league, respectively.
Tomorrow starts a huge back-to-back at home. The Rangers face the league-leading Colorado Avalanche on Saturday at noon, followed by the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday night.
Gavrikov makes a big impact in Fox’s place
If Adam Fox is one of those guys who misses time every year, the Rangers can sleep better at night knowing they have guys who will step up in his absence. His talent cannot be replaced, but the D core has done well to replace his minutes with the committee, and no one has had as impact as Vladislav Gavrikov.
The first year Ranger has been known for his tight defensive play, but lately he has been doing some attacking work, joining the rush, finding himself in the front net and, most importantly, scoring goals. Vlad has scored in consecutive games since Fox was injured, has 3 goals in his last 4 games and 5 points in his last 6. He has played more than 25 minutes seven times so far this season, and that could become the norm while Fox is out. He is currently doing everything for the blueshirts.
Zibanejad is quietly improving his all-around game
Mika Zibanejad is noticeably more effective in games this season than last season. The details of his game are coming together and the level of competition seems to have increased. 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 that up with a big performance in his old hometown of Ottawa, putting the Rangers ahead with a goal just three minutes into the game.
If the points start coming more often and Mika can maintain the way he has played all season, this could be one of the best campaigns of his career. He tied Ron Greschner for seventh on the franchise’s all-time points list Thursday night with that goal, his 610th point as a Ranger.
Panarin reaches milestone and rises in contract year
Artemi Panarin scored his 900th career point on an empty-net goal on Thursday night in Ottawa. He’s been scoring points in bunches lately, with four multi-point attempts in his last five games. He has just over a point per game this season with 30 in 29 games, and he has taken over the quarterback role on the power play in Fox’s absence.
With free agency still on the horizon and seemingly no progress being made on an extension, Panarin is building his case to cash in on another big ticket as a 34-year-old. The Rangers are still very much in the playoff hunt and appear to be on an upward trend, so I wouldn’t expect anything to develop on that front anytime soon. There are rumors that Panarin might pursue a possible return to Russia, but I don’t know if I buy it. It’s a situation to keep an eye on as the campaign continues.
Fox’s injury is upper body and should be available for the Olympics
The good news in a bad situation for the Rangers is that Adam Fox’s injury is not a lower-body injury. The LBIs have seemingly been piling up for Fox in recent years, so it’s good to know that isn’t the case this time. No injury is a good injury, but for the longevity of Fox’s elite production, it’s important that lower-body injuries don’t aggravate themselves.
There are rumors that the Rangers are pushing potential power-play quarterbacks to fill the void while Fox is injured. Insider Elliotte Friedman mentioned former Ranger Erik Gustafsson as an option on his podcast. Gus filled that role well when Fox was injured in the 23-24 and is currently in the AHL with Grand Rapids. I don’t think it’s necessary, but we’ll see what happens.
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