Mika Zibanejad knocked out of the lineup by his coach.

The New York Rangers will be without one of their top forwards, at least for now, with head coach Mike Sullivan looking to send a message on Monday.

On Monday, the Rangers will welcome the Anaheim Ducks to Madison Square Garden in what is a highly anticipated game from the perspective of Rangers and Ducks fans. These teams have been involved in a number of trades in recent years and as a result tonight's game will mark the return of longtime Rangers veterans Jacob Trouba and Chris Kreider.

It no doubt would have meant a fair bit for Zibanejad to play in tonight's game given the context, but it would seem that he has cost himself his chance to do so.

On Monday, Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan informed reporters that Zibanejad would be a healthy scratch on Monday night when they faced the Ducks. Sullivan wasn't shy about his reasons for doing so either, informing reporters that Zibanejad had been absent for a team meeting and was being punished as a result of those actions.

This will of course put the Rangers at a significant disadvantage this evening when they face the Ducks, with Zibanejad still serving as one of the team's most important forwards. Not only has Zibanejad averaged over 20 minutes of ice time this season but he has also contributed 11 goals and 14 assists for 25 points in his first 33 games of the season.

Not likely an easy decision for Sullivan with his team needing every point they can get while the Rangers languish near the bottom of the National Hockey League's Metropolitan Division, but an understandable decision to be sure.