I remember debriefing the Rangers’ unforeseen run to the 2022 Eastern Conference Final with Mika Zibanejad in September of the following season.
All anybody could talk about was what the young players gained from the experience, but Zibanejad quietly went through his own learning curve in his fifth postseason appearance (including the 2020 bubble play-in), particularly in the seven-game first-round series against the Penguins.
He was handcuffed by his matchup against Pittsburgh’s first line of Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust. Showing too much respect to top opponents had certainly been a periodic trait of his.
I asked Zibanejad if he just needs to remind himself, “I’m Mika freakin’ Zibanejad and I am a top 10 center in the National Hockey League,” to puff out his chest a little and bring a swaggering confidence to the ice.
