Mika Zabanejad address the Media and 540am Sportstalkny after his historic 5 goal game and overtime winner .
Mika Zibanejad established single-game career-highs with five goals and five points, tallied his fourth career NHL hat trick (and his second hat trick of the 2019-20 season), registered the game-winning goal in overtime, and led all skaters with eight shots on goal in 24:56 of ice time. He was selected as the game’s First Star. Zibanejad tied the Rangers’ single-game franchise record with five goals in a game (the only other Rangers who have recorded a five-goal game in franchise history are Don Murdoch (Oct. 12, 1976 at Minnesota North Stars) and Mark Pavelich (Feb. 23, 1983 vs. Hartford)). Zibanejad is the first NHL player who has recorded at least five goals in a game this season, and he is the first NHL player who has registered five goals and the game-winning goal in overtime since Sergei Fedorov on Dec. 26, 1996 vs. Washington as a member of the Detroit Red Wings. He has tallied a point in 12 of the last 13 games (16 goals, eight assists), and he has recorded a goal in nine of the last 10 contests. According to NHL Stats and Information, Zibanejad is the sixth player in franchise history who has recorded a goal in at least nine games over a 10-game span (Frank Boucher in 1929-30; Andy Bathgate in 1962-63; Jean Ratelle in 1971-72 and in 1972-73; Eddie Johnstone in 1981-82; Jaromir Jagr in 2005-06). He extended his goal/point streak to three games (eight goals, one assist over the span). Zibanejad added to his career-high in goals (38), and he has also established a career-high in power play goals (15). He is the first Rangers center who has registered at least 38 goals in a season since Mark Messier in 1995-96. Since Jan. 31 (the Rangers’ first game following the NHL All-Star Break and their bye week), Zibanejad’s 20 goals are the most in the NHL. He is the first Ranger who has recorded two hat tricks in the same season since Michael Grabner in 2016-17. (Courtesy of NY Rangers PR)
