The Rangers will be without Mika Zibanejad for tonight’s game against the Ducks. Unfortunately, he missed a team meeting this morning. Under head coach Mike Sullivan, who has strict rules, a player must sit out a game for failing to show up for a meeting on time.

“There are logistical challenges that this city presents sometimes. … He feels terribly about it. … He’s a great human and he takes responsibility for it,” Sullivan told reporters after announcing that Zibanejad won’t play.

Losing Zibanejad will hurt the Rangers when they take on the high scoring Ducks, who enter Monday ranked second in offense with 3.44 goals-per-game. They’re led by breakout center Leo Carlsson, whose 40 points (17-23-40) are tied with Jason Robertson for 10th in scoring. The 2023 second overall pick is an explosive player due to his skating in transition. He also has the size and skill that make him a very difficult player to stop.

Anaheim also boasts super sophomore Cutter Gauthier, whose 16 goals and 18 assists for 34 points are tied for second with Troy Terry (10-24-34) in team scoring. Calder hopeful Beckett Sennecke leads all NHL rookies with 26 points (10-16-26). A strong skater with lethal hands, he can make things happen quickly. In a win over Pittsburgh last week, he tied the game at the buzzer with a shorthanded goal. The Ducks came back to win it in a shootout.

Former Ranger Chris Kreider has been good so far in his first year in Anaheim. Although he’s cooled off following a hot start, he still has 13 goals and eight assists for 21 points. Mason McTavish (7-13-20) is another Duck who plays in the top six. After re-signing before the season, big things are expected for McTavish, whose size and playmaking are strengths.

The Ducks are led on the blue line by Jackson LaCombe. After a slow start, he’s picked it up, with his 18 points pacing all Ducks defensemen. Olen Zellweger and former Rangers captain Jacob Trouba have chipped in offensively. However, most of Trouba’s production came early on. He’s more known for throwing big hits on opponents that push the boundaries. The Rangers’ forwards will have to keep their head on a swivel when Trouba is on the ice.

Lukas Dostal just returned from an injury. The Ducks starting goalie is 11-6-1 with a 2.83 goals-against-average and .902 save percentage. In a 4-1 loss to the Devils this past Saturday, he gave up three goals on 21 shots. Ville Husso is the backup.

Expect Miller to Shift Back to Center

Without Zibanejad, who’ll miss his first game of the season, expect J.T. Miller to shift back to center. He’s been playing mostly with Vincent Trocheck and Conor Sheary on a matchup line. However, the Rangers should need him to center one of the big lines. In their comeback win over the Canadiens, Miller recorded his second two-goal game of the season. That included getting the tying goal and the overtime winner on the power play.

Perhaps Sullivan will have Trocheck reunited with Alexis Lafreniere and Artemi Panarin. They’ve been playing with Zibanejad on the number one line. Unless he decides to have Miller play with them, it makes logical sense for Trocheck to assume that role for tonight’s game. They also could move Will Cuylle up to play with Miller and Conor Sheary.

Due to no Zibanejad, Cuylle was taking reps on the first power play unit. He’ll likely join Lafreniere, Miller, Panarin, and Trocheck. Jonny Brodzinski, who’s back in tonight, was on the second power play unit with Noah Laba, Sheary, with Vladislav Gavrikov quarterbacking it. Who replaces Cuylle?

Rempe Could Return

Earlier today, the Rangers removed Matt Rempe off long-term injured reserve (LTIR). He’d been skating recently, which meant he was getting closer to returning. That could actually come later tonight.

If he’s indeed back, Rempe would slot in with Sam Carrick and Taylor Raddysh on the fourth line. Considering that Jaroslav Chmelar stayed out late with Scott Morrow, neither will be in the lineup. Chmelar had filled in the past three games after he was recalled from the Hartford Wolf Pack. Whether they keep him up remains to be seen.

Assuming he’s back, might we see Rempe on the second power play as a net-front option? Perhaps that’s too much to expect. They could decide to double shift their best players, with Panarin likely to play the whole two minutes.

Rempe hasn’t played since Oct. 23 versus San Jose. He injured his hand in a fight with Ryan Reaves. The early indication is that he’ll likely be in.

Rangers With A Chance to Gain Ground

On a light night for the Metropolitan Division, the Rangers are the only team in action. It’s a chance for them to gain ground in what’s an unpredictable race due to so many teams being bunched up.

With almost everybody caught up, this will be their 34th game of the season. The Rangers bring a 16-13-4 record into play on Monday, with their 36 points ranking seventh in the division. However, two total points separate the wild card-leading Flyers from the Rangers. Philadelphia has only played 31 games, but they also have just nine regulation wins, which is the first tiebreaker. The Rangers have 11 regulation wins.

The top three teams in the division are the Hurricanes (44 points), Islanders (42 points), and Capitals (40 points). Washington leads the division with 17 regulation wins, which is four more than the Hurricanes, Islanders, and Penguins (37 points). The Devils have 12 regulation wins, but now are sixth in the division with 37 points. The Rangers sit right behind them. The Blue Jackets are in last place with 32 points and only seven regulation wins.

Undoubtedly, nobody is out of it completely. Even the Sabres, who finally fired general manager Kevyn Adams, have 32 points due to winning three in a row. With both the Flyers and Bruins sitting in wild card position with 38 points, six total points separate the pack. Anything can happen.

It’s important for the Rangers to take advantage of tonight’s game. They can ill afford to lose. Even without Zibanejad, and Adam Fox, they are capable of winning against a Ducks team that doesn’t defend well. We’ll see if they’re up to the challenge.

If they can come out with a victory, they would then have the Canucks tomorrow night. That would be a chance for a winning streak before they go visit St. Louis later this week. Considering what’s coming before and after Christmas, they really need to sting together wins at Madison Square Garden to be taken seriously.