An undermanned, injury-hit version of the Rangers fell just short of forcing overtime against the rival Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday. Without Artemi Panarin, K’Andre Miller, Jacob Trouba, Filip Chytil, and Kaapo Kakko, the Blueshirts largely kept pace in a frantic contest – but ultimately lost 4-3.
Chris Kreider did everything humanly possible to summon a comeback attempt, scoring a hat trick and constantly knocking on the goalmouth door. The 29-year-old alternate captain put in an industrious, net-charging performance. The 6-foot-3 wing bulled his way to prime real estate and each of his three goals were scored around the crease.
Kreider opened the month of February with just one point in five games. Wednesday was proof of the veteran wing’s recently improved play. Over the past four games, he’s tallied four goals and one assist.
His increased output has come at a crucial time. The 6-8-3 Rangers currently sit in sixth place in the Eastern Division. Beset by injuries and off-ice drama, the 2020-21 season has presented a series of challenges for a youthful roster led by third-year head coach David Quinn.
At this time a year ago, the Rangers and Kreider put the finishing touches on a seven-year, $45.5 million contract extension. Some outlets and analysts questioned the $6.5 million annual cap hit as an overpay, and questioned the length of a contract that ends in 2027.
Yet, there are a lot of intangibles that Kreider brings in addition to his fleet-footed skating, powerful frame, and goal-getting ability. His lively personality and leadership skills can spark the Rangers as much as his on-ice contributions.
“With Kreider in particular, we felt like he’s a big piece of our team,” general manager Jeff Gorton told NHL Network last March. “If we’re going to move it forward, we have a lot of young players, we needed some guys that have been around and been impactful to our team and Chris is a core piece. We felt like it was a priority to keep him and move forward with him in our group. At his age, the way he keeps himself in condition, his production, the way he skates, he’s tailor-made for the NHL. That was important for us.”
Kreider could have easily been named captain this past offseason – especially given his length of service to the Blueshirts’ crest, the stability of his contract, his dedication, and veteran example. But you don’t need to be given the captain’s ‘C’ to lead. Kreider is acting and playing like a true captain and doing everything he can to keep the Rangers afloat in a bizarre and adversity-heavy season.
Follow Sean Hartnett on Twitter: @HartnettHockey
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