Zibanejad was behind it all – then Rangers won: “A good lesson for us”

Mika Zibanejad has started paying back for the confidence Rangers has for him as assistant team captain after the big contract extension he signed just over a week ago.

After three assists in the first three matches, he opened the goal account during the night until Tuesday when he sent away from the castle a shot that at first seemed to take the post, but which after closer inspection was clearly a regular goal.

Zibanejad’s first goal of the season meant 1-0 13.49 into the first period, but it eventually became a decisive overtime in the match against Toronto after the home team equalized early in the second period.

And when they were to be decided, well then of course Zibanejad was involved.

The Rangers center won a technical in the offensive zone and played the puck on to Artemi Panarin who found a gap at the far post behind Jack Campbell.

After the match, however, Zibanejad thanked his goalkeeper Igor Shesterkin who made 40 saves in the match.

– I do not think we played well enough during large parts of the match and if we had not had Igor, I do not want to think about what would have happened. But when everything is summed up, we got two points and can move on from this, it was a good lesson for us, says Zibanejad to NHL.com.

Toronto Maple Leafs – New York Rangers 1-2 (0-1, 1-0, 0-0, 0-1) after extra time
Objectives, TOR: Michael Bunting
Target, NYR: Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin
Shot: 41–23 (12–10, 17–2, 9–7, 3–4)