Checking in With Jonny Lazarus on the Rangers

I am pleased to welcome back Jonny Lazarus, the terrific online hockey personality, writer, analyst, and host.

Jonny was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to talk about how poorly the New York Rangers are playing, what teams are surprising everyone, and a little bit about what he is trying to bring to the hockey world.

Here it is:

PH: What are your overall thoughts on the Rangers this season?
JL: The Rangers season has been nothing short of a letdown. I know there are a lot of people who say “The regular season doesn’t matter, they’ll only be judged on what they do in the playoffs”, and I hope those people’s minds have changed.

Peter Laviolette said on exit day last year that the guys cannot expect to breeze through the regular season, and that is exactly what seems to be happening. On the flip side, sometimes drama can be fun, and at least we have something to talk about every day.

PH: There is no doubt that Mika Zibanejad’s offensive numbers have slipped recently. Why do you think that is?
JL: It is tough to come up with an answer for what is going on with Mika Zibanejad. It is clear that his confidence is not fully there right now, but he was aware of the criticism going into the season and perhaps that has been weighing on him a little too much mentally.

PH: What did you think of the Igor Shesterkin deal? Do you think Igor believes he can win a Cup with the Blueshirts?
JL: I do not care what Igor’s regular season numbers are. When it comes to the postseason, there is no other guy I would want in the blue paint.

When it comes to the contract, we will have to wait and see. There were plenty of critiques on Sergei Bobrovsky’s deal when he first signed it, but now it is no longer an issue.

I know that he believes he can win a Stanley Cup here and I think the Rangers have a better chance with him than without him. 

PH: What team (s) do you think has been the biggest surprise this season? Why?
JL: I think the Minnesota Wild and the Washington Capitals are the obvious answers here, but to me, the Capitals are number one. They were a disaster in the first round of the playoffs last season and I do not think anyone could have expected this start.

Not only have they been elite, but they have been consistent as well. What has been really impressive for Washington is that they haven’t even slowed down with the loss of Alex Ovechkin. Guys like Connor McMichael and Aliaksei Protas have been incredibly underrated for how strong they are playing.

Spencer Carbery has to be the front-runner for the Jack Adams Award.

PH: What team (s) do you think has been the biggest disappointment this season? Why?
JL: Well, c’mon Pat. That is obvious.

It is our New York Rangers, and everyone knows why.

PH: You are everywhere these days with your hockey coverage. Tell us where we can watch, listen, and read your work throughout the season.
JL: You can always catch me at 9 a.m. Monday-Thursday on the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel doing Morning Cuppa Hockey with Colby Cohen. That is my most consistent gig right now, but like you said, I am all over the place.

I have some really exciting things in the works for 2025, but Daily Faceoff is where you can find most of my work, or on Twitter @jlazzy23. 

PH: When it comes to covering hockey, what perspectives do you try to do it from since you are a fan, player, writer, host, analyst, and broadcaster in hockey?
JL: I try to blend all of those into one. I think it is important to be a fan because that is the main reason why I love my job most.

At the same time, sympathizing with what players are going through and educating fans as best as I can is incredibly important to me. I did not play at the highest level, but at the collegiate level, I know how much this game can take over people mentally.

This game is just as hard mentally as it is physically, but I think being an educated fan is the perspective I try to lean on most.

PH: Is there anything else you’d like to share with us hockey fans?
JL: I will say something to Rangers fans. What the team is going through now should be the perfect example of why we should never take a year like last season for granted.

The highs are always incredible, but the lows are beyond draining. I know they did not get the job done last year, but what an unbelievable ride that was.