New York Rangers Daily: Mika Zibanejad finishes strong; Panthers eye sweep; Honoring Johnny Hockey
The World Hockey Championships ended on a good — if not perfect — note for New York Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad on Sunday. On the final day of the tournament, Zibanejad was in action for host country Sweden — just not in the gold medal game.
Zibanejad scored a goal and added an assist to help Sweden secure the bronze medal with a 6-2 win against Denmark. Sweden had a 4-0 lead early in the third period, but when Denmark pushed back with a pair of goals less than three minutes apart, Zibanejad helped swing momentum back the other way.
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First, there was a secondary assist on Marcus Johansson's goal at 8:25, and then Zibanejad iced the win for Sweden when he scored at 15:03 of the third period.
Zibanejad had mostly a good tournament, finishing with eight points (five goals, three assists) in nine games, missing one with an illness. He tied for fifth in scoring for Sweden, and was tied for ninth among in the tournament with five goals.
Like the rest of his teammates, Zibanejad wasn't great in a 6-2 loss to the United States in the semifinals. But all in all, Zibanejad appeared rejuvenated playing for his home country after the dark malaise which engulfed him with the Rangers this past season.
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Momentum doesn't carry from one season to the next, but Rangers brass must be happy to see Zibanejad finish up this season strong in the NHL (11 points in six games) and on the international stage.
But if they haven't done so already, general manager Chris Drury and coach Mike Sullivan must make it a point to sit down with Zibanejad and make sure his head is clear and he's all-in next season. Because he most definitely was not in 2024-25.
By the way, the United States won the World Championship, defeating Switzerland 1-0 on Tage Thompson's goal 2:02 into overtime Sunday. It's the first time the U.S. won gold at the Worlds since 1933.
No Rangers were on Team USA's roster. Brett Berard missed out on the experience, when he was forced to pull out of the tournament with an injury.
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New York Rangers news
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Tom Castro provides a detailed breakdown of why the Rangers shouldn't extend Artemi Panarin and instead move on from the prolific scorer when his contract is up at the end of next season.
Niko Mikkola would be a perfect fit these days with the Rangers. But would the defenseman have ever been as good as he is with the Florida Panthers, if the Rangers kept him two years ago?
Ryan McInerney makes the case that Vincent Trocheck should be the next captain of the Rangers.
Breaking down the best right-wing options for the Rangers with the No. 12 pick in this year's NHL Draft.
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Here are three realistic trade options if the Rangers decide to move Alexis Lafreniere this offseason.
NHL news and rumors
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Sportsnaut: Here are the key takeaways after the Edmonton Oilers hammer the Dallas Stars 6-1 in Game 3 to take 2-1 lead in best-of-7 Western Conference Final.
TSN: The Stars played without top center Roope Hintz, who participated in warmups but was unable to play in Game 3 after sustaining an unspecified injury the game before.
NHL.com: The Florida Panthers look to finish a sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final on Monday night. Forward Sam Reinhart has not been ruled out after missing Game 3 with a lower-body injury.
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Sportsnet: Niko Mikkola is expected to play for the Panthers on Monday after the former Rangers defenseman sustained what appeared to be a shoulder injury late in the third period of Game 3 on Saturday.
Daily Faceoff: Team USA honored the late Johnny Gaudreau after defeating Switzerland 1-0 in overtime to win the gold medal at the 2025 World Hockey Championships.
NY Post: Ethan Sears breaks down the extensive to-do list for new Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche.
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Dan Kingerski breaks down the pros and cons of the top-5 coach candidates for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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