Chris Kreider = monster

Chris Kreider = monster

Building on what Kevin talked about yesterday, not everything in Rangerland is a negative right now. Despite the inept goaltending currently found at the Garden and the sinking ship that is the Rangers defense, there are still reasons for optimism in New York. One of those reasons is Chris Kreider. If the Rangers had just a competent defense in week one we would be talking more about the good starts of Anthony Duclair and Lee Stempniak, the hot streak and return to prominence of Rick Nash but – in my opinion – above all, Chris Kreider’s emergence as an every game threat.

While still a little rough around the edges, Kreider has looked dominant at times. His one goal so far was a breakaway which he took extremely well, he has been hard on the puck all year, has been physically engaged while he’s also shown he’s willing to stick up for his teammates. Kreider has also impressed with a couple of great primary assists on goals for Nash and Derick Brassard showing that he’s not a one dimensional player and has been hungry for the puck on his stick. If he can maintain his start to the season he should also smash his career high for shots on goal with well over 200.

With the in-form Nash and veteran Marty St Louis commanding the attention of the opposition’s best defensive pairings, Kreider should have plenty more opportunities to continue his emergence. Last year he was finally able to establish himself in the NHL and would surely have had better numbers were it not for his slow start and injury but this year Kreider looks a different player.

If Kreider can continue to develop consistency and keep utilizing his size and speed – coupled with Nash’s return to his goal scoring old self – the Rangers will have two dominant offensive forwards that will create mismatches almost every game. Offensively the Rangers look like they could score in bunches and their offensive performances will revolve around Nash, St Louis and Kreider. Kreider has already emerged as one of the critical Ranger skaters because he brings a complete skill set to the table, all of which he has already utilized this season.

Clearly, the Rangers issues lie primarily in the defensive zone and Kreider still needs protecting in his own end but Vigneault has proven adept at deploying his lines tactically and putting players in the right situations to succeed. While Henrik Lundqvist and the blueline continue to find their game, forwards such as Kreider will continue to be the Rangers best hope for success in the short term. Can Kreider continue his point per game pace? Until the Rangers defense work it out, he’ll probably need to.

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