Daily Report – 12/15/25
Rangers
Mika Zibanejad has been scratched from tonight’s game, the same game in which Chris Kreider is scheduled to return to the Garden. It’s easy to fear that Zibanejad might, once again, be protesting against Chris Drury and upper management’s decision to trade Kreider this past offseason. News out of New York last year suggested Zibanejad was one of several Rangers who organized a disagreement of sorts against the front office.
Players did this for various reasons, in part to express their discontent over decisions to waive Barclay Goodrow, mistreat Jacob Trouba in the offseason following a Presidents’ Trophy-winning campaign, and fire the head athletic trainer. Kreider was most upset about the firing of the athletic trainer, and the team's decision to ultimately trade him was widely recognized as a consequence for his actions against management.
By missing a meeting, Zibanejad acted against the best interests of his team. But unlike Peter Laviolette last year, head coach Mike Sullivan has zero tolerance for nonsense, so he has punished Zibanejad. Now, we can only hope Zibanejad takes accountability for his transgressions, because the Rangers don’t need another season to collapse in controversy.
I was initially going to start today’s report by acknowledging the return of my all-time favorite Ranger, Chris Kreider. This video says it all: https://x.com/agm605/status/1933297238098522255/video/1. So does this article by the late Larry Brooks: https://nypost.com/2025/06/12/sports/what-ill-remember-most-about-chris-kreider-after-rangers-breakup/. Kreider will always hold a special place in my heart.
I want to touch on the relationship between Kreider and Zibanejad, a couple of best friends. I can only hope Zibanejad didn’t intentionally miss that team meeting, but the reason I’m so hard on him is that he, too, is special to me. Zibanejad did a very kind deed for my family several years ago, and I’ll never forget it. He is a good and decent person, as well as a stellar hockey player. I hope he makes a wise decision.
“Obviously, he feels terribly,” Sullivan said this morning. “The one thing about Mika is he’s an honest person. He’s a great human being. He takes responsibility for it.”
On Saturday night, the Rangers posted a thrilling 5-4 comeback win against the Montreal Canadiens. They erased a 3-0 deficit and a 4-2 deficit before JT Miller lit the lamp in overtime. It was his second goal of the game, and the Rangers put an embarrassing shutout loss in Chicago behind them.
The Rangers got off to a strong defensive start in the first period, including a 5-0 shots on goal advantage, but Igor Shesterkin did not play well to start the game, allowing each of Montreal’s first two shots to cross the goal line. At 7:19, the Habs cashed in off the rush. Zachary Bolduc worked his way around a stagnant Carson Soucy to deflect Nick Suzuki’s shot past Shesterkin. Less than four minutes later, Montreal took a 3-0 lead.
“There was a lot of hockey left. That’s what we talked about on the bench,” Mike Sullivan said. “That’s what we talked about in between periods. […] I think we had the start we were looking for. There were a couple of breakdowns that ended up in the back of our net. I contemplated calling a timeout, but we didn’t feel like it was necessary based on the way the group was playing.”
Montreal was leading 3-0 with less than four minutes remaining in the opening frame, but the Rangers didn’t cower. They scored two goals in the final 71 seconds, including a power play goal by Noah Laba and the first made penalty shot by a Ranger since 2015.
The Rangers had missed on each of their previous 11 penalty shot attempts, but on his first chance to break the streak, Artemi Panarin never had his chance to break the streak, Artemi Panarin deked twice and dragged beat Jacob Fowler off the left post.
“We just kept on pushing forward,” Laba said.
“I was panicked to be honest,” Panarin joked.
The Rangers hoped their late first-period momentum would carry into the second, but at 3:17 into the frame, Montreal drew first blood. Josh Anderson helped his team regain a two-goal lead, thanks to assists from his star teammates Nick Suzuki and reigning Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson. But again, the Rangers didn’t sink. Will Cuylle scored four minutes later, and after 36 seconds, JT Miller tied the game.
“I think we did a good job of staying mentally tough and in the moment,” Miller said. “They defended a lot of the night, I felt like. When we play like that, it’s the same speech every game: I think we’re a lot to handle.”
In the third period, neither team could score, and shots were even at five. At 14:11, it looked like Sam Carrick might have given the Rangers the lead, but upon video review, it was determined his skate kicked the puck over the goal line, and the score was erased.
The Rangers won the opening faceoff of overtime, and after they failed to convert on their first possession, Vladislav Gavrikov placed an excellent block on Cole Caufield’s net-front shot. JT Miller worked the rebound down the ice to Matthew Robertson, who shot the puck wide.
Montreal was able to hand possession off to Oliver Kapinen, who missed the net on a breakaway, but then Artemi Panarin drew a slashing penalty against Jake Evans. With a four-on-three advantage, Vincent Trocheck won the first faceoff, and Mika Zibanejad pulled the puck out to Panarin, who passed it back. From the point, Panarin shot after a low-high pinball exchange with JT Miller, but Fowler made the save. The Rangers had to find another way to score.
Trocheck won the next faceoff to Fowler’s left, and JT Miller moved from the crease to the right circle. Panarin passed the puck low to Trocheck, who sent it high for Zibanejad, who aced his pass to Miller for the game-winning slap shot.
“I was supposed to be in front of the net,” Miller explained. “Sometimes, those things evolve like that, and I had my mind made up that I wanted to get a shot off. I’ve passed up a couple of shota lately that I feel I should have shot.”
Miller saved the game on Saturday night, but his heroics would not have been possible without Zibanejad’s excellent puck-handling skills. After Thursday’s loss and a 0-for-11 power play scoring skid, Sullivan moved Zibanejad to the point. Rostered as a center, Zibanejad sometimes plays right wing, but it was never clear he could quarterback a power play.
This is what makes Zibanejad such an asset for the Rangers. It would be disappointing, to say the least, if the rumors are true: That he intentionally missed a meeting this week in protest against how the Rangers treated his best friend.
Schedule
7:00 PM (6:00 PM CST): NYR vs. ANA; MSG, Gotham Sports
7:00 PM (6:00 PM CST): Yankees Hot Stove; YES, Gotham Sports
8:15 PM (7:15 PM CST): Monday Night Football (MNF), Week 15 – Miami Dolphins (6-7) at Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6); ESPN
