Hartnett: Zuccarello's Blue-Collar Effort Lifts Blueshirts Into Next Round

By Sean Hartnett
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Mats Zuccarello is the little engine that drives the Rangers to great things. The 5-foot-7 winger plays with a zealous energy that few players match around the NHL. He's constantly buzzing across 200 feet of ice, competing hard for every inch until the final buzzer sounds.

It's obvious why fans inside Madison Square Garden scream "Zuuuuccccc" with an enthusiasm that rivals their chants for all-world goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Zuccarello's desperation to win is clear for all to see in every shift he takes. After the Rangers entered the first intermission of Game 6 with a case of the turnover bug and a 1-0 deficit, Zuccarello stood up inside the home dressing room and challenged teammates.

"He said we obviously need to be better and rise up to the occasion," alternate captain Marc Staal said. "He took us by the reins and brought us home with a couple of big goals. He's a big part of our leadership group. He's really grown into that the last couple of years. He's a guy everyone looks up to."

Zuccarello's words clearly perked up teammates, as the Rangers' listlessness and sloppy play of the first period turned to vigor and cohesion in the middle frame and throughout the third period. The spirited Norwegian played a starring role to help the Blueshirts eliminate the visiting Montreal Canadiens in six games. The 29-year-old forward recorded two goals, as the Rangers earned a 3-1 victory.

"He's a competitive little bugger," head coach Alain Vigneault said. "He competes every shift. He's become a real big part of our team, not just for what he does on the ice. He brings the team together. He's a real good teammate, and he came up huge for us tonight.

"In my time here, in the four years – when he started, he wasn't even a regular player in my first year," Vigneault continued. "He earned his spot with Brass (Derick Brassard) and (Benoit) Pouliot, who became a real good line for us. Ever since then, he's been improving his game both offensively and defensively. A real solid person, a real good teammate in the room. He picked a real good night to have a real good game."

Zuccarello continually wins the 50-50 battles for pucks and finds a way to outmuscle and move larger opponents off the puck. Pound for pound, it's hard to find a player in the league who gets more out of their physical gifts. Zuccarello finished the first round of the playoffs with a series-leading three goals and ended New York's 0-for-14 power play drought with his tying goal at 2:26 of the second period. His game-winning goal would come 11 minutes later.

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"Watching him this series, he's one of the best puck protectors I've ever seen," Jimmy Vesey said. "It's amazing at his size. He's really strong with that low center of gravity, when he spins off and absorbs that initial check. He's tough to stop. All year, he's been possessing the puck so well. It's good to see him get rewarded tonight with two goals."

Every time he touches the puck, the Garden rises with those resonating chants of "Zuuuucccc." That's because the diminutive Norwegian brings the kind of effort New Yorkers can appreciate every time he hops over the bench. Zuccarello has become an identifiable piece of this city like the rushing yellow cabs and the hustling 9-to-5 workers. He's from Oslo, but he's pure New York.

Follow Sean on Twitter at @HartnettHockey