Mika Zibanejad’s season has certainly been chaotic. That’s been especially true recently.
Buthe enters the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off playing his best hockey of the year. If the Rangers are to climb into playoff position, it’s a needed development.
Zibanejad recorded 16 points in his past 20 games, including eight points in his past five games, entering the break after tallying just 21 points in his first 35 games of the season.
In the Rangers’ 4-3 win over the Blue Jackets on Saturday, Zibanejad delivered a goal and an assist.
“We haven’t been perfect since Jan. 1, but I think it’s been a lot better,” Zibanejad said after the 4-3 win over the Blue Jackets on Saturday. “I think there’s been a commitment to playing winning hockey and I feel like it’s coming along. … Today I thought we were on it from the beginning.”
Since the Rangers acquired J.T. Miller in a blockbuster deal with the Canucks at the end of January, head coach Peter Laviolette has shifted Zibanejad all over the lineup.
Zibanejad, a natural center the vast majority of his career, moved over to right wing on the first line with Miller handling center duties. It quickly paid dividends and helped spark Zibanejad.
During Saturday’s win, however, Laviolette moved Zibanejad back to center, but on the third line with Chris Kreider and Arthur Kaliyev.
Jimmy Vesey, who had been a healthy scratch for nine straight games before Adam Edstrom’s lower-body injury prompted his return to the lineup, moved all the way up to the first line at right wing, with Miller at center and Artemi Panarin on the other wing.
But the move didn’t seem to bother Zibanejad, who recorded a goal and an assist during that win.
“I thought all the lines were going,” Zibanejad said Saturday. “Everyone contributed in their [own] way. That was big.”
Still, it was evident that Miller’s ferociousness provides a new dynamic that helps bring out the best in Zibanejad.
Whether Laviolette returns to that configuration or the one he deployed on Saturday — or a combo of both — after the break remains to be seen.
“He’s a good mixture of the skill and the playmaking ability and obviously he can score, to his physicality on the forecheck and then the way he plays very north at times,” Zibanejad said last week of Miller. “It gives a little bit more freedom going on offense, staying up a little bit more.”
During this eight-game tear for Zibanejad, he’s received an uptick in playing time as well.
He played 22:18 during the team’s loss to the Penguins on Friday — his second most of the season — and 21:03 during the team’s win over the Golden Knights on Feb. 2 — his fifth most of the year.
“When you play, I think it’s just knowing you have the confidence of one bad shift is not going to do something for you,” Zibanejad said last week. “You just keep playing. Whether you play 20, 25, 50 minutes, try to have the same mindset. But I don’t think anyone is gonna say no to more ice time.”
And this will be no break for Zibanejad — he will play a leading role with Sweden. It could help Zibanejad grow that confidence even further.
“There’s a lot of pride,” Zibanejad told The Post’s Mollie Walker about playing for his national team. “The first dream that you have as a kid [is] playing for your country, representing your country. When I was a kid, it wasn’t a whole lot of NHL exposure like it is nowadays, so seeing the national team play and seeing the world championships every year was something you were looking forward to and something I was dreaming about. So it’s very, very special.”
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