For the second time in three years, the New York Rangers are going to the Eastern Conference Finals, coming off a dramatic Game 6 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. Now there are many reasons for the Rangers’ win, but there is one player that stands out above the rest: Chris Kreider.
Although Kreider is the longest-tenured Ranger, there have been many questions about how he will be remembered. Will he go down as one of the greatest Rangers in history, or will he be just another player that only die-hard fans will remember?
Based on Game 6 of the 2024 Eastern Semifinals, he’ll go down as a Ranger great.
Kreider’s Defining Moment
Every legend has that one game that stands out above the rest — a defining moment in each player’s career that every fan instantly remembers when their name is brought up. For Kreider, that moment came with his Game 6 performance.
But to truly understand why this moment was so big, you have to set the scene. Going into the third period, the Rangers were down 3-1. Not only that, but they looked lifeless. The Rangers only had three shots in the first period, and the struggles continued into the second.
The Hurricanes used those struggles to their advantage by slipping three pucks past Igor Shesterkin. And by the end of the second, many Rangers fans thought the series was destined for Game 7. Some even said the series was over outright.
But then, in the locker room, Kreider stood up and told the team he’d get a goal — which he did — putting them right back in it. However, he didn’t just get one goal in the third; he got three in a row. The hat trick put the Rangers in front 4-3, just enough to kill Carolina’s momentum, and propelled New York to the win.
Every Rangers fan, whether they realize it or not, will remember this game and the story behind Kreider’s heroics as they talk about it for generations.
An Impressive Resume
The idea that Kreider is a Rangers legend is not new. It was debated long before 2024’s playoff run even started.
Kreider made his NHL debut during the first round of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Ottawa Senators. In Game 6 of the series, he scored his first career goal, a game-winner to keep the Rangers alive. Since then, scoring in the playoffs has become a normal occurrence for Kreider; he holds the franchise record with 47 goals scored in the playoffs.
Of course, his success hasn’t come exclusively in the playoffs. He scored 52 goals in the 2021-22 regular season (second-most in franchise history), only behind Jaromir Jagr, who scored 54 in 2005-06. Kreider is also third in all-time goals with 304, 32 goals behind Jean Ratelle for second and 102 behind Mr. Ranger Rod Gilbert for most all-time.
After making the playoffs 10 different times, you might expect Kreider to be toward the top for playoff statistics. Those 10 playoff appearances make him a part of two separate eras of Rangers’ dominance. He was one of the young guys when Henrik Lundqvist led the Rangers through the early and mid 2010s. Now he’s one of the main leaders in this post-letter era of Rangers’ success. Both are career-defining achievements.
With everything taken into account, it’s safe to say Chris Kreider is a Ranger legend. One day, his No. 20 will go up into the rafters of Madison Square Garden.
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