Mika, Mika, Mika
Zibanejad nets hat trick; Artemi on COVID list
Mika Zibanejad set up many of Chris Kreider’s team-leading 19 goals this season. On Sunday, it was Kreider getting assists on each of Zibanejad’s three scores.
Zibanejad recorded his eighth career hat trick, Igor Shesterkin stopped 38 shots for his second shutout of the season and the Rangers beat the Lightning 4-0.
“First game of 2022, let’s flip that,” Zibanejad said of his play with Kreider. “He has that in his game as well. He’s a goal-scorer, but he makes great passes and you have to be ready for them. That was the case today.”
Ryan Strome also scored and Adam Fox picked up two assists to help the Rangers win for the third time in five games (3-1-1). The Rangers beat the Lightning for the second time in three days after a 4-3 shootout victory at Tampa on Friday night.
The Rangers were without star forward Artemi Panarin, who was placed in COVID-19 protocols Sunday.
“All of our players stepped up,” Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said. “It’s very satisfying. You play a good team like that over there, they come at you, they have a lot of talent . ... Shesty played a great game, power play did its job. Everybody was ready to play today and compete.”
Shesterkin stopped 18 shots in the first period, 11 in the second and nine in the third for his fourth career shutout. He improved to 15-4-2 with a 2.09 goalsagainst average this season.
“I need to play even better than I did today,” Shesterkin said through an interpreter.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, playing for the first time in 12 days after coming off COVID-19 protocols earlier in the day, stopped 17 shots as the Lightning lost its third straight (0-2-1) after winning nine of 10.
“It’s not like the guys weren’t trying, we just didn’t generate anything,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “We were off. Give credit to the Rangers, they did a hell of a job. We did get chances, and the goalie was able to see them. We were a step slower, the reaction time was a little off. When that happens, this is the result.”
Zibanejad, who scored the only goal of the shootout Friday, completed his hat trick late in the second period to put the Rangers up, 4-0. He deflected Tampa Bay’s outlet pass in its defensive zone and charged toward the net. The puck came to Kreider, who spun way to the left and sent a pass that Zibanejad deflected past Vasilevskiy with 3:07 remaining for his 11th of the season.
The Lightning challenged for high-sticking on the play, but the goal stood after a review.
“When you’re in that kind of momentum, you just seem to make the right decisions of where to go and pucks find you,” Zibanejad said.