Chris Kreider wasted little time in getting on the board in the 2023 NHL Playoffs, and in the process, standing along atop the Rangers franchise ranks for postseason tallies.
Kreider put home two goals in New York’s 5-1 beatdown of the rival Devils in Tuesday’s series opener, including a power play goal midway through the first period, which gave the Blueshirts an early 2-0 lead and moved Kreider past Rod Gilbert for the most playoff goals in franchise history.
Later in the game, Kreider netted another, moving his postseason total to 36 goals.
“He's been great for me for two years,” head coach Gerard Gallant said. “Kreids is a big-time player. To get those two goals on the power play is huge for us…he just keeps doing it. When he’s hot like he is now, that’s pretty important for our group.”
Kreider notoriously has no desire to talk about his own accolades, so he had little to say about it on Tuesday, but was likely much more focused on his group taking game one on the road and looking like the more prepared and cohesive team from beginning to end.
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