Hartnett: Mats Zuccarello Is The Engine That Drives The Rangers
By Sean Hartnett
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Mats Zuccarello is the engine that drives the Rangers. Game after game, the 5-foot-7 winger makes a mammoth impact on the ice by offering an array of highlight-reel moves, and he matches all that flash with an unquenchable work ethic.
"I think he's my favorite player in the NHL right now," alternate captain Derek Stepan said. "He's playing at such a high level. It starts with his compete level. He just competes so hard."
The Norwegian extraordinaire and the white-hot Blueshirts pushed hard on the gas and didn't come off on Thursday night, thrashing the powerhouse St. Louis Blues 6-3. Zuccarello was once again the man pulling the strings as the Rangers extended their winning streak to seven.
He got the scoring started at 4:54 of the first period, patiently maneuvering the puck in Gretzky's office and setting up cutting goalscorer Derick Brassard. Little more than two minutes later, Zuccarello turned Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester inside out to create his own lane toward middle ice and beat frozen goaltender Jake Allen stick side.
"That's a high, high skill-level play," Stepan said.
"His goal was a highlight reel," head coach Alain Vigneault said. "That was an unbelievable move. He's done that before. What he's showing now is a little more burst of speed with the puck. He did it the other night, he took the puck deep in our end and carried it and made a great play in an offensive zone entry. Tonight, obviously, he had his legs again and made some real good plays."
On the Rangers' lone power-play chance shortly into the third period, Zuccarello was the orchestrator -- faking and moving, getting the Blues' penalty killers to bite. He pulled defenders with him to allow Stepan and Ryan McDonagh to be unmanned. Stepan set up McDonagh, and the Rangers' captain drilled a one timer past replacement goalie Brian Elliott.
"From my perspective, he's one of the best in the league at making a nice skill play when he has to," winger J.T. Miller said of Zuccarello. "He plays hard, but when he has the puck he's up there with some of the best players at making great plays. He pulls people, he opens up holes."
If Henrik Lundqvist is "The King," then Zuccarello is "The Prince" who challenges for the adoration of the Garden faithful. At its loudest, Madison Square Garden booms out chants of "Hen-rik, Hen-rik." Whenever Zuccarello touches the puck, a roar of "Zuuuuccc" echoes around the arena and fans rise from their seats in anticipation of what the 28-year-old magician might do next.
Through 16 games, Zuccarello leads the Rangers with eight goals and 15 points. He is currently on pace to finish with 41 goals and 77 points. Both would smash previous career highs. New teammate Emerson Etem is impressed by the poise and intelligence displayed by the diminutive Norwegian.
"He's fast, but at the same time he uses his speed at the right moments," Etem said. "He's patient with the puck. In high-pressure situations, just inside the blue line, he's able to make moves and put goals home. It's exciting to see."
Amid all the praise, Zuccarello remains immune to any form of big-headedness. He stands in front of a sea of microphones and frequently describes his goals as "lucky." Much like his highlight-reel assists, Zuccarello always deflects attention to teammates.
"You have linemates that help you out," he said. "It's a team game. You're trying to help out as much as you can. Sometimes you get the good bounces that you wouldn't have gotten without the team behind you. It's not a one-man game."
Having made his NHL debut two days before Christmas Day 2010, his personality hasn't changed. He's still the same determined kid from Oslo who plays with a big chip on his shoulder and lets his game do the talking.
Follow Sean on Twitter @HartnettHockey.
