Watching Mika Zibanejad wind up and absolutely hammer a one-timer from the left circle on the power play past Calgary Flames goalie Devin Cooley on Wednesday night was most definitely a welcome sight for the New York Rangers.

Not only was it the eventual game-winning goal in New York’s 3-1 victory at Scotiabank Saddledome, but it was vintage Mika. And there haven’t been enough of those moments, so far, in what’s been an otherwise impressive start for the Rangers (11-8-1) this season.

Zibanejad’s scoring contributions and offensive production largely were limited to setting up teammates prior to Wednesday. He has 18 points in 20 games, but entered this one against the Flames with three goals and 13 assists, and no goals in his previous seven games.

The 33-year-old center banked one in off Cooley’s pads to put New York up 1-0 just 59 seconds into the second period. That was a slick idea and execution, each a big part of the Zibanejad arsenal. But that power-play one-timer, that’s the one that really felt like it was missing this season. And perhaps now it’s back, and so, too, is Zibanejad, who can be an absolute game-wrecker once he gets on one of his famed goal-scoring binges.

Mika’s been a diligent two-way center right from Day 1 this season. He’s back-checked, won plenty of face-offs — Zibanejad won 13 of 18 draws (72 percent) against the Flames — and been a big reason why the Rangers truly believe they can be a playoff team.

He simply wasn’t scoring enough goals, nor scoring the ones he’s most known for. Until Wednesday night in Calgary.

Let ‘er rip Mika.

Key takeaways from Rangers’ 3-1 road victory over Flames

Let’s not forget Korpi

Zibanejad deserves a lot of credit for this win, but so, too, does Joonas Korpisalo. The 32-year-old goalie made 30 saves, including 21 on 22 shots over the final two periods. He mostly was well positioned and hardly allowed any rebounds or second chances. Not bad for a goalie playing just his second game of the season after missing five weeks with a foot infection.

There’s a calmness to Korpisalo’s game when he’s on, and he most definitely was on Thursday night in Calgary. But when he needed to be spectacular, athletic and a bit acrobatic, he was. His diving save along the goal line 3:45 into the first period to rob Zayne Parekh on a gorgeous wraparound attempt was among the best saves by a Rangers goalie this season.

“That was a heck of a play by him. He got me swimming. It’s just straight desperation. Dropped my stick to get my leverage, get my blocker there and I got lucky,” Korpisalo told reporters after the game.

Two starts, two victories, and a 2.00 goals-against average. That’s a nice beginning to the veteran’s tenure on Broadway.

Score first and win

This wasn’t such an easy victory, and the Flames did close to within one with under 12 minutes remaining in regulation, but the Rangers simply do not lose when they score first this season. The Rangers have 11 victories so far, and scored the first goal in each of those games, losing only once for an 11-1-0 record.

Of course, the flip side of that is that they’re 0-7-1 when the opposition scores first. But let’s stay positive for now because this was another solid all-around effort, and a good road win.

The Rangers are also 9-0-0 when leading after two periods, and kept that record spotless Wednesday despite a spirited surge by the Flames late in the second period and for much of the third. As such, New York’s won four of its past five games following a four-game losing streak, and have a chance at a winning road trip when they finish this four-game Northwest swing against the last-place Vancouver Canucks on Friday.

Klapka blueprint for Rempe

For the 15th time in 20 games this season, towering Rangers forward Matt Rempe watched from the press box as a healthy scratch. Hopefully he kept his eyes peeled on Adam Klapka because the Flames forward provided a blueprint for much of what Rempe hopes to be at some point in the NHL.

Klapka stands 6-foot-8, an inch shorter than Rempe, though at 235 pounds weighs about 30 pounds less than the Rangers forward. He’s a fourth-liner tasked with pretty much the same tasks as Rempe, that is when Rempe is actually in the Rangers lineup. That is to play a heavy, physical game, get in the forecheck with speed, be responsible defensively, agitate the opposition, drop the gloves when necessary, and find w ys to contribute on the score sheet.

Not only did Klapka do most of that to a tee Wednesday, but the 26-year-old from Czechia’s consistency in those areas helped him earn the trust the past couple of years from Flames coach Ryan Huska. It’s exactly everything Rempe wants to be, and the Rangers would love it, too, if only they could trust the 24-year-old.

Klapka was an immoveable big body in front of the Rangers net, when he buried a power-play goal at 7:41 of the third period — his fourth goal in 19 games this season. He also led the Flames with six hits, and tied for second on the team with four shots on goal. And he was trusted with a season-high 16:07 TOI, giving Rempe ample opportunity to study the blueprint for what success looks like in his role.

Concern for Bjorkstrand

Oliver Bjorkstrand didn’t play the latter half of the third period after absorbing a hard check along the boards in the offensive zone four minutes and change into the final stanza. Calgary defenseman Joel Hanley wiped the Rangers forward out with the hit, shortly after Bjorkstrand caught iron with a straightaway power-play shot attempt.

The 31-year-old was slow off the ice, but did take a 31-second shift that ended at 9:42 of the third period. He didn’t play the rest of the way, with Eeli Tolvanen moving up from the fourth line to replace Bjorkstrand and skate with Noah Laba and Will Cuylle. There was no update on Bjorkstrand after the game.

Separately, over the final few shifts of the game, Jaroslav Chmelar also moved up in the lineup, replacing Gabe Perreault on Zibanejad’s line with Alexis Lafreniere. Chmelar again was an assertive force on Wednesday and made an important stick deflection on a strong back-check which likely saved a goal or at least an excellent scoring chance for the Flames in the final minutes.