Big players show up to big games, and that’s exactly what Chris Kreider did Saturday afternoon.
Kreider had his fingerprints all over the Rangers’ 7-4 win against the Bruins at Madison Square Garden, where the longest-tenured Ranger recorded three points, including two goals for his second multi-goal performance of the season.
Scoring once on the power play and once while the Rangers were shorthanded, Kreider continues to be a menace on special teams.
“I would hate playing against that guy, honestly,” K’Andre Miller said of Kreider, who has now recorded a power-play goal and a shorthanded goal in the same game four times in his career. “He’s up and down the ice every five minutes it seems like, getting a chance here, getting a chance there. He’s been great for us all year. Helping us young guys excel our games and he’s been a great leader.”
Kreider, who is second on the Rangers in points with 20, pounced on a loose puck that trickled through Boston goalie Linus Ullmark to double the Rangers’ score, 2-0, at the 10:56 mark of the first period.
The 3-2 score at the end of the opening frame, however, was even more impressive in nature.
Taking a perfectly placed stretch pass from Jacob Trouba, Kreider exploded ahead on a breakaway before burying the puck stick-side past Ullmark.
Kreider’s nine shorthanded goals since the 2021-22 season lead the NHL, while his 41 power-play goals rank second in the league.
“Often times, power-play players are really good penalty killers,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “They see the ice, they know what the other power play guys are thinking about doing. So all it takes is a poked puck and somebody to react to that poked puck, which is really what happened.”
“Heck of a play up the middle of the ice and then speed I think factors into it, to get behind and actually get distance and get in the clear and make the play.”
The Rangers have 15 wins in 19 or fewer games for the first time in franchise history. Before the Golden Knights took on the Coyotes on Saturday night, the Blueshirts’ 15 wins were the most in the NHL.
Rangers captain Jacob Trouba was fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for high-sticking Bruins forward Trent Frederick at 2:20 of the second period. … After an off-day on Sunday, the Rangers return to the ice Monday morning in preparation for the Sabres at night.
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