The New York Rangers and Florida Panthers have consistently been locked in tight games during the Eastern Conference Finals. All it takes is one small mistake to turn the tide of the game, which is what Rangers star Mika Zibanejad provided the Panthers in Game 4.
Looking to get the puck to Blake Wheeler, Zibanejad released a pass that he immediately regretted. He knew it was a bad pass and watched Wheeler attempt to corral it at New York’s offensive blue line.
Wheeler was unable to, having the puck poked away by defenseman Niko Mikkola, who headed toward his teammate Aleksander Barkov. To avoid Barkov from getting a clean look at goalie Igor Shesterkin early in overtime, Wheeler committed a penalty.
It ended up not mattering much, as the Panthers would score moments later. 1:12 into the first overtime, Sam Reinhart scored a power play goal to give Florida a 3-2 victory and even the series up at 2-2.
It was a play that will stick with Mika Zibanejad for a little while. After the game, he spoke about the careless decision he made and rued what it ended up turning into for his team.
“It’s making decisions,” said Zibanejad of the play. “I [saw Wheeler] kind of coming towards me. I think he’s open because [forward Will Cuylle] is going to the net, trying to make the play and they poke it and go the other way. I should have probably just made a different play, or decision, but I made the decision there then. I can’t change it now. That’s sports. I can just come back and try to make another decision next time and hope it goes my way.”
The late-game error is just another thing that has not gone right for Mika Zibanejad in the Eastern Conference Finals. He was stellar in the first two rounds of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Rangers but has not made a positive impact against the Panthers.
Through the first 10 games of the postseason, he recorded three goals and 14 total points. Through four games against Florida, he and linemate Chris Kreider have yet to get on the score sheet.
That should make Rangers fans feel fortunate that the series is tied 1-1 at this point. Outside of a 3-0 victory in Game 1 by the Panthers, the teams have played one-goal games in three straight.
Mika Zibanejad and the Rangers will look to bounce back on Thursday night when they head back to Madison Square Garden for Game 5. That is a pivotal game, as the team that comes away victorious goes on to win the series more times than not.
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