Mike Zibanejad doesn't hold back while calling out the New York Rangers after addressing their poor efforts
Photo credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Mika Zibanejad blasted the New York Rangers, and the way they started against the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night as they managed to take another embarrassing 8-4 loss at Madison Square Garden.
Following the Rangers game on Wednesday night, Mika didn't sugarcoat it, saying the Rangers «dig ourselves a hole» and that spotting a team four goals makes a win feel almost impossible in this league.
"We just dig ourselves a hole. It's tough enough to win as it is in this league. You spot the other team four goals, you're not making it much easier."
Mika Zibanejad talks about another poor start from the Rangers in their loss to the Senators tonight:
Mika Zibanejad talks about another poor start from the Rangers in their loss to the Senators tonight:
The brutal part is the numbers matched the mood. Ottawa scored four times in the first period, then added two more in the second to build a 6-0 lead before the New York Rangers finally got on the board.
You could see why Zibanejad sounded annoyed, the puck management was a mess and the gaps were loose. The Senators got clean entries, then lived off broken coverage around the slot and the back post.
Mika Zibanejad doesn't hold back while calling out the New York Rangers
Not long after Mika Zibanejad addressed the Rangers slow start, he quickly stated that he and his teammates need to do a better job at turning desperation into energy and pushing through and find a way to get back into the game before it's too late.
"We have to turn the desperation, we have to turn that into energy. We have to turn whatever we're feeling into some sort of energy."
- Mika Zibanejad
- Mika Zibanejad
To New York's credit, the Rangers did punch back with four goals, but it was a long climb out of a crater. Gabe Perreault scored twice, and Noah Laba and Alexis Lafreniere added the others, yet Ottawa still closed it out 8-4.
Even the comeback math was ugly. After the 6-0 hole, New York needed perfection, but Ottawa answered with David Perron's third-period goal and Tim Stutzle's late empty-netter.
The Rangers can talk about structure all they want, but the next milestone is simple. They have to show up on time in the next one, because chasing games like this is a fast way to burn a season.
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