Since returning to the Rangers in March, Mats Zuccarello played 15 games in the regular season and 12 in the playoffs.
He had a total of four goals and 11 assists in that time and fired 49 shots on goal. In both the regular seaosn and playoffs Zucc averaged 16:20 per game and had a total of 49 hits.
Zuccarello said that he hopes to return to the Rangers next year and that New York is where he wants to be.
He added that this season he enjoyed having a bigger role and felt like he was the player that the Rangers wanted him to be when he first signed.
His agent told NRK last week that he feels that a contract should be able to be worked out “in no time.” His agent also said that he doesn’t think the firing of John Tortorella will have an impact on Zuccarello one way or the other.
Earlier today, following Rangers practice, Mats Zuccarello was asked if he felt there was any quit with the Rangers.
Zuccarello told Andrew Gross, “Absolutely not. We’re going to fight them to the bitter end. Hopefully, we can win four straight.”
He added, “we have to stay positive, believe in each other, believe in our system, we need to put the puck in the net…it’s as easy as that. If we score more goals than them we are going to win.”
In the 15 games since Mats Zuccarello returned to the Rangers, he has 3 goals and 5 assists while averaging 16:25. Zucc is a plus 10 and has 27 hits.
Dave Maloney said after the Rangers game against the Panthers that Zuccarello deserves the ice time that he has received.
John Tortorella said on The Michael Kay Show that Zucc makes people better when he is on the ice.
Brad Richards said that some of the things that Zuccarello does remind him of what Marty St. Louis did when they were teammates in Tampa Bay.
Zuccarello, in the NY Post, downplayed the comparison saying that he wasn’t at that level.
Zuccarello told Ranger Rants that he can’t explain why he seems faster. He said that one reason is an added level of confidence and a big role with the team since he came back. “I’m a big part of the group and as soon as you do that, you get your confidence up and you make plays you probably wouldn’t do if you don’t have your confidence up.”
Joe Micheletti praised how Zucc takes “no guff” from anyone.
3:43PM: Zuccarello told the Rangers website that he is having a blast being back in NY and loves coming to the rink everyday. Zucc says that he feels more comfortable on the team because he is playing more minutes.
8:31AM: Before being held scoreless against the Devils, Mats Zuccarello had compiled four points in the past three games.
Zuccarello is averaging nearly 16 minutes per game and has three goals and three assists in 12 games. He also has 23 hits, 22 shots on goal and 12 blocked shots.
On what has changed with Zuccarello since he returned, John Tortorella said on MSG Thursday night that Zucc is is in better shape, quicker and more comfortable playing in the NHL this time around.
When asked about the goal he scored that gave the Rangers a 3-1 lead against the Panthers, Tortorella said “not many guys are going to score that goal. Most would just bang it into a pad.”
Brad Richards said on Monday that Zuccarello was playing well, looks faster than he did last year and is always trying to create something on the ice. Richards praised Zuccarello’s hockey sense.
Adam Rotter: Zucc definitely appears to be faster than he was at any point in the previous two seasons. His game was really starting to come along when he got hurt last year and he looks more than comfortable playing in the NHL right now. He seems sure of himself with the puck and he isn’t afraid to mix it up. He has helped the Rangers power play. He is an RFA at the end of the year and I think it’s a pretty good bet that the Rangers bring him back on a two-year deal.
Prior to last night’s win over the Maple Leafs John Tortorella was asked about Mats Zuccarello. Tortorella said that while Zuccarello has had chances and he is comfortable putting him in different situations on the ice, Zuccarello has to score, “It’s nice that we have seen it before but we gotta see it now.”
When asked during an interview during the Rangers pre game show, Zuccarello told John Giannone that he doesn’t feel any extra pressure to score and that he doesn’t care who does score as long as the team wins.
While Zuccarello had no shots on goal last night, he scored the only goal in last night’s shootout and helped the Rangers pick up a crucial second point.
After the game, John Tortorella said on MSG that Zuccarello played well and “he needed to do something and he did.”
Zuccarello was awarded the Broadway Hat after the game and told Katie Strang, at ESPN NY, that he had a good feeling when he saw the red light go on and that he was just happy to help the Rangers pick up two points.
Carl Hagelin told the NY Post that he saw Zuccarello perform that move in practice recently and added “he’s got great hands and great poise and is probably the best shootout player in the league.”
On the pre game show, Brian Leetch praised Zuccarello for not being a perimeter player and his willingness to go fight for opportunities that guys his size don’t normally do.
Last Monday against the Jets, Mats Zuccarello picked up his first point since re-joining the Rangers.
Zuccarello also had three shots on goal and three penalties in 17:41.
Zucc was called for two high sticking penalties and also for closing his hand on the puck.
Closing your hand on the puck is a new rule this season that Zuccarello said, on MSG, he didn’t know was a rule.
When asked about Zucc in the post game, John Tortorella said on MSG, “Zucc is a smart player…I guess not that smart with three penalties. As far as with the puck, he sees it…he sees it. No one told him, I didn’t think of it. (smiling) We are dying on the vine here and I’m not going to run over to Zucc and tell him that you can’t put your hand on the puck. Now he knows. It’s unfortunate.”
Dave Maloney said that Zuccarello’s game is a “intuitive, fun and brings a breath of fresh air.”
Brian Leetch said that normally when someone takes three penalties they are stapled to the bench, but John Tortorella saw the work he was doing and offense he was creating and decided to keep sending him out there.
Zuccarello picked up his second point last night against the Hurricanes when he found Rick Nash on the PP and Nash did a spin-o-rama to score.
He had four shots and played 12:46.
Against the Penguins earlier in the week, John Tortorella said that Zuccarello made a key play by driving to the net and drawing a defender away from Ryan McDonagh. Brad Richards then found McDonagh and McDonagh snapped a shot past Marc-Andre Fleury.
At Rangers Report, Carp writes that Zuccarello has “been an all-around force. I like his edge, obviously he has more skill than a lot of their forwards and great vision and patience with the puck.”
Since returning to the Rangers in March, Mats Zuccarello played 15 games in the regular season and 12 in the playoffs.
