Mika Zibanejad named NHL first star of the week from March 2-8

New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad of Huddinge, Sweden was named the National Hockey League’s first star of the week for the week from March 2 to 8 according to Hockey Reference. In three games, Zibanejad scored seven goals.

Fascinatingly, Zibanejad did not register an assist the entire week. During the week he was a -2 with three power play points, one game winning goal, 13 shots on goal, two hits, three blocked shots and 27 faceoff wins.

Zibanejad’s magical game came in a 6-5 Rangers win over the Washington Capitals on March 5. Zibanejad became the 45th player in National Hockey League history to accomplish the feat. The last player to score five goals in one game was Patrik Laine of the Winnipeg Jets, who had five goals in an 8-4 Jets win over the St. Louis Blues on November 24, 2018.

In the Rangers win over the Capitals, Zibanejad also achieved a few milestones. According to ESPN, Zibanejad became the third New York Ranger in franchise history to score five goals in one game, was the second player in NHL history to score five goals in one game including the overtime winner and the fourth player in NHL history to score at least one goal in the first period, second period, third period and overtime.

The other two Rangers players to score five goals in one game were Don Murdoch of Cranbrook, British Columbia in a 10-4 Rangers win over the Minnesota North Stars on October 12, 1976 and Mark Pavelich of Eveleth, Minnesota in a 11-3 Rangers win over the Hartford Whalers on February 23, 1983. Interestingly, Murdoch became only the second rookie to score five goals in one game. The first was Howie Meeker of Kitchener, Ontario, who scored five goals in one game for the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 10-4 Toronto win over the Chicago Blackhawks on January 8, 1947. Pavelich, meanwhile is the only American ever to score five goals in one game.

The only other player to score five goals in one game including the overtime winner was Sergei Fedorov of Pskov, Russia, who accomplished the feat on December 26, 1996. Ironically, the Capitals were the losers in that game too as Detroit won 5-4.