The New York Rangers are still biting.
After being calculated in another series, you are now on to the third round of this year’s playoffs.
And thanks Mika Zibanejad for that…
Yes, it simply does not seem possible to beat the New York Rangers in this year’s playoffs, no matter how calculated the team looks. They were really bad in the first round, against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and in most games there was no question that the Rangers were the clearly worse team.
But in seven games, the Rangers still managed to advance to the second round, and even there, seven games were required for a decision.
Great success
And that it even went to the seventh and decisive match is spelled Igor Shesterkin. The Russian was Henrik Lundqvist’s replacement in Manhattan, and this season he has grown into the world’s best goalkeeper.
In the regular season, he was ranked number one on almost every statistic list, and it is not a question of whether he wins the Vezina Trophy this summer, but by how much. Many also believe that he deserves to win the award as the most important player in the entire NHL, and that says a lot, as it is not uncommon for a goalkeeper to receive that type of recognition.
Shesterkin has in many matches even in the playoffs alone saved Rangers left in the series and the night’s seventh and decisive match was no exception. Shesterkin played great again, dropped only two goals past you – but a Swedish superstar was also highly contributing to Rangers being allowed to continue playing in this year’s playoffs.
Mika Zibanejad has been Rangers’ top scorer in this year’s playoffs and when it mattered most he made another great match.
Third in the points league
Rangers won the match 6-2, and Zibanejad accounted for three plays in the scalp. The three assist points mean that Zibanejad continues to climb in the NHL’s scoring for the playoffs.
It’s not easy to raw on the touch of the inhuman duo Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but with 19 points scored so far, Zibanejad is now alone third in the prestigious list.
Rangers now only get a few days’ rest before it’s time for a slightly sensational conference final, where Tampa Bay Lightning is the opposition. It will then be a powerful Swedish match between Mika Zibanejad and Victor Hedman, but also a hyper-interesting goalkeeper match between Shesterkin and Tampa’s star goalkeeper Andrei Vasilevsky. The Russian duo has been clearly outstanding among the goalkeepers in this year’s playoffs, and is now making up for a place in this year’s Stanley Cup final.
READ MORE: When the Swedish profile did the forbidden thing against Tie Domi – and had to skate for his life: “Would have killed me”