The end of the 2017-18 regular season is quickly approaching for the New York Rangers. They might be out of the playoff picture, but they’re still getting plenty of contributions up and down the lineup.
The remaining goal for the New York Rangers is simple: to address young talent. The past two weeks, that talent has been putting up crazy numbers…numbers that quite frankly we never thought we would see from some players.
Picking this week’s three stars was just as hard as picking last week’s three stars. There are so many individuals on this team that have stepped up and played well over the last three weeks.
There is really no wrong answers when putting this list together. So here are the three stars of the week from 3/18-3/25.
3. Neal Pionk
We let you guys decide who should be the third star, and you chose Neal Pionk.
Pionk scored his first career goal in the Rangers’ 5-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres Saturday night.
The early returns on Pionk have been outstanding. He currently has a seven-game point streak, which ties the longest point streak by a Ranger rookie defenseman in franchise history. There is still room for Pionk to grow, but the Rangers have to be happy with the production they are getting from him.
2. Jesper Fast
Jesper Fast or “Quickie” as his teammates call him, continues to be on fire.
Fast is excelling while playing on the Rangers top line. He currently has an eight-game point streak and has surpassed his career high in goals with 13 now.
Throughout his career, Fast has been primarily known for being a solid defensive player. Over the last two weeks, he has shown that he can do so much more than defend and kill penalties. The Rangers might be counting their blessings that the Vegas Golden Knights passed on him in the expansion draft last summer.
1. Mika Zibanejad
The Rangers have a first line center in Mika Zibanejad.
Zibanejad extended his points streak to seven games while extending his goal streak to five games. During this goal streak, he has scored seven goals to bring his season total up to 27. This week, Ziabnejad has found the back of the net three times.
Centering the Rangers top line, Zibanejad seems to be playing with confidence. He continues his solid all-around play and is making his contract extension last summer look like a steal.
Honorable Mentions
- Chris Kreider: Two goals and two assists in three games this week.
- Jimmy Vesey: Two goals and an assist in three games this week.
Don’t forget to vote on Twitter for next week’s third star.
