Mika Zibanejad is climbing the Rangers’ all-time charts as he rounds into a bounce-back season that’s turning heads. In his 10th year with New York, the Swedish center matched Ron Greschner for seventh on the franchise points list (610) after delivering his team-leading 10th goal in the 4-2 win over Ottawa on Thursday.
“Looking back at the last game against the Stars, I’d say that was perhaps our best performance at home,” Zibanejad remarked after Thursday’s victory. “But overall, that’s the style we want to play, and that’s how we’ve been able to play, especially on the road. We know what we’re capable of, and while it won’t be perfect every night, the foundation of our intent was there—and it showed again today. Maybe a touch sloppy in the third, but Ottawa was pressing too.”
After a down year, excluding the shortened 2020-21 season, Zibanejad has rebounded strongly in his first season under head coach Mike Sullivan. He’s already halfway to last season’s 20-goal total and continues to pace the team on the power play with six goals, while ranking third with 11 assists.
Carrying a five-game points streak (three goals, three assists) into Saturday’s matchup with Colorado, Zibanejad has notched nine points across his last eight outings. He sits just two power-play tallies away from tying Chris Kreider and Camille Henry for the Rangers’ franchise record of 116 power-play goals.
Meanwhile, goalie Spencer Martin—who backed up Igor Shesterkin in the previous two games—signed a two-year deal with the Rangers last month. Across five NHL seasons with Colorado, Vancouver, Columbus, and Carolina, Martin has gone 24-30-8 with a 3.56 GAA and a .883 save percentage.
The 30-year-old began the 2025-26 campaign with CSKA Moscow of the KHL, appearing in 14 games and posting a 5-6-0 record, a 2.69 GAA, and a .905 save percentage.
The Rangers had a day off on Friday before embarking on back-to-back games at Madison Square Garden this weekend. After the Avalanche matinee on Saturday, New York will host the Golden Knights the following night, closing out the weekend slate.
