Mika Zibanejad and the New York Rangers are headed to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. New York became the first team in the league to clinch a spot in the tournament after an overtime win over the Philadelphia Flyers. However, their regular season goals don't end now that they have more hockey to look forward to.
Zibanejad faced the media after his team's thrilling win on Tuesday night. And the Rangers star made it explicitly clear that his team is still very motivated. Furthermore, he issued a warning to the Carolina Hurricanes, who are right on New York's heels in the Metropolitan Division.
“That's Step One for us,” Zibanejad said, via NHL.com, of his team's playoff berth. “We have a battle with Carolina right now for the No. 1 spot in our division. We want it.”
Rangers, Hurricanes set for division showdown
The Rangers have held the Metro Division lead for most of the 2023-24 NHL season. In fact, they have held this lead for over 150 consecutive days, according to NHL.com. At times, it's felt as if the Blueshirts were beginning to pull away. However, the Hurricanes have remained hot on their heels.
New York began the 2024 calendar year with a seven-point lead over Carolina in the division. That said, Carolina cut this lead down to two points around the All-Star Game. Ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline, though, the Rangers again established a five-point cushion. And yet, the Hurricanes have narrowed that down, as well.
As of this writing, the Rangers lead the division with 100 points. The Hurricanes are right behind them in second place with just 97 points. What makes this race interesting is their remaining schedules. New York has a game in hand over Carolina. However, these two teams do not play each other again this season.
The Rangers and Hurricanes both have their eyes on the division crown. And it certainly seems as if things will come down to the wire this year. Whoever pulls away will have to do so without directly putting the nail into the other team's coffin.
Finding ways to win
For the Rangers, they have certainly had a successful season. Mika Zibanejad believes the team's mentality is a major reason for their success. New York has been rather consistent for most of the 2023-24 campaign. And they figure out how to win even when their backs are against the wall.
“All year we find a way to battle back,” Zibanejad said, via NHL.com. “The way we've been coming back in these games, it's not just individual efforts; I think the whole team has been playing really well and we've been really stepping up and done the little things that we talk about every day that we have been talking about since Day One of training camp.”
18 of New York's wins have come after they conceded the first goal. Furthermore, they have won seven games after trailing in the third period. The Blueshirts are 8-2-1 when tied after the middle frame and 10-4 when an extra period of hockey is required. It's an incredible showing of resilience for one of the top teams in the league.
The Rangers are looking for their first Stanley Cup since 1994. For now, that's a bit down the road. Mika Zibanejad and the Blueshirts are focused on winning the Metropolitan Division. And they have a formidable challenge in the Carolina Hurricanes looking to wrestle the crown away from them.
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