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Lack of production from Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller make Rangers’ issue more glaring
The New York Rangers’ shortage of natural centres has led coach Mike Sullivan to shuffle his forward lines, but the article argues that weak scoring from top centres Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller is making the problem more serious. The team has often struggled to score in defeats, leaving it short of the goals needed from two of its leading players.
Joseph Veleno’s long-term injury has narrowed the available options, prompting the Rangers to try several players and sign 37-year-old Luke Glendening, who has no points in four games. Through 19 games, Zibanejad and Miller had combined for seven goals, including only four at five-on-five; the Rangers scored one goal or fewer in six of their nine losses. Miller said chances had not been going in, while both players had scored only once on the power play.
In short
- The Rangers are short of centre options after Joseph Veleno’s injury.
- Zibanejad and Miller had just four five-on-five goals combined in 19 games.
- The team scored one goal or fewer in six of its nine defeats.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The Rangers’ thin supply of natural centres makes dependable scoring from Zibanejad and Miller especially important: when they produce, the team can better absorb injuries and line changes. Their modest goal totals, alongside repeated low-scoring defeats, give reason to see their lack of production as a significant part of the problem and to expect more from two leading players.
The case against
A short early-season stretch does not necessarily show that either centre is playing poorly or that their scoring is the main cause of the team’s struggles; chances can fail to convert, and goals depend on the whole line and team. Injuries and limited centre options have also forced changes that may disrupt combinations, so the Rangers’ difficulties could reflect broader roster and team issues rather than these two players alone.
Explained simply
In ice hockey, a centre is a forward who helps link defence and attack and often takes face-offs. Teams usually rely on centres both to create chances and to score, so injuries or a shortage in that position can lead a coach to rearrange the forward lines.
The New York Rangers are an NHL team coached by Mike Sullivan. Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller are two of their leading centres; Joseph Veleno’s long-term injury has reduced the available options, and veteran centre Luke Glendening has joined the team. The issue matters because the Rangers need their top forwards to provide goals, especially when the team has struggled to score in defeats.