FUN AND GAMES: Mats Zuccarello, whose play has improved, says he is enjoying himself and feels more confident this season. (Getty Images)
It is tough for Mats Zuccarello to get upset. Honestly, it is.
“As a person, I’m outgoing and I don’t take everything so seriously,” the diminutive Norwegian said after the team’s 3-2 loss to the Panthers in Florida on Tuesday. “I’m here to have a good time, hopefully play some good hockey and make the playoffs. But it’s important to find that balance of being serious and having fun.”
Don’t take that the wrong way, because Zuccarello was contrite in speaking about the loss, the biggest clunker the Rangers have laid all season. By dropping a game to the NHL-worst Panthers, the Blueshirts (24-18-4) missed a chance at clinching a playoff spot, which could again happen tonight in Carolina against the Hurricanes.
Now in eighth place, they need two points in the final two games to get in, the season finale being Saturday against the Devils in the Garden.
Yet a big reason they even have a chance is Zuccarello, who has added a major boost of energy to the team since coming over from the KHL in late March. In the 13 games he has played, the team is 8-4-1.
“It seems like he’s faster than I remember him,” said Brad Richards, who has centered a line with Zuccarello and Taylor Pyatt that has emerged as a solid contributor in the past week. “He’s on the forecheck, always trying to create something. Obviously, he has great hockey sense.”
For the generously listed 5-foot-7 winger, he struggles to answer the question of why he seems to be faster and definitively improved. So instead of grasping at a tangible reason, the 25-year-old points to the ambiguous for an explanation.
“I think the main key is maybe confidence,” the 25-year old Zuccarello said. “I felt like I’m a big part of the group. As soon as you do that, you get your confidence up. You try to make some plays you maybe wouldn’t do if your confidence isn’t up.”
Confidence also grows with the three goals and five points he has put up in the previous five games. Now the hope is that with the playoffs on the line, and the Rangers with little to no breathing room, that confidence can spread.
“It’s just fun to be here with the boys, playing some NHL hockey,” Zuccarello said. “You never know how long it’s going to last. Hopefully it lasts for a little bit longer. I’m just trying to come in here and spread some good cheer.”
* The Hurricanes called up Jared Staal and are planning for him to make his NHL debut tonight. He will join the same team as two of his brothers, Eric and Jordan, while his other brother, Rangers’ defenseman Marc, has been out since March 5 with a right-eye injury.