Practice Report: Zibanejad In, Nieves Out
Mika Zibanejad was back at Rangers practice today in his usual spot between Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich.
AV said barring a last minute development, he’s expecting @MikaZibanejad to return to the #NYR lineup tomorrow.
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) December 18, 2017
Zibanejad has been missed by his fellow Blueshirts, who have managed a solid 5-3-1 record in his absence. But perhaps most importantly, Zibanejad is coming back to the Rangers power-play, which has gone 5/27 since the injury to the Swede.
Unfortunately, Boo Nieves gets the short end of the stick with Zibanejad likely to re-enter the lineup on Tuesday. Nieves has done a nice job on the fourth line, skating between Jimmy Vesey and Paul Carey. Nieves racked up three points (G, 2A) in the nine games, and was also a +4.
https://twitter.com/MattCalamia/status/942788033262141441
With Zibanejad back, it appears that Desharnais will move into Nieves’ spot on the fourth line, while JT Miller remains at center between Nash and Zuccarello.
“I just want to get back and contribute and keep playing like I was before.” – @MikaZibanejad talks about his hope of getting back into the #NYR lineup tomorrow against Anaheim. pic.twitter.com/O7KxDtgk0w
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) December 18, 2017
More About:New York Rangers Features New York Rangers Games