While the New York Rangers offense is still getting used to Peter Laviolette’s system and trying to find their offensive legs, one player seems to have already found the scoring touch.
That would be veteran Chris Kreider. Kreider, 32, has four goals and one assist for five points in four games and already looks like the player who scored over 50 goals just two seasons ago.
There are several reasons why Kreider is off to a fast start. For starters, he continues to show a nose for the net.
Kreider has made a great living scoring goals by being in the right position in front of opposing goaltenders. He is great at tipping pucks, putting in rebounds, and driving hard to the net.
He showed two of these three things in his team’s first game of the season in Buffalo when they won by a score of 5-1 over the Sabres. He had a deflection goal in the first period to give his team a 2-0 lead, and then he scored a great shorthanded goal by going to the net and redirecting a great pass from Mika Zibanejad.
Secondly, his familiarity with playing with Zibanejad continues to be beneficial for both players. It is clear that these two have unbelievable chemistry and that a lot of great offense can be generated by playing together.
This was the case on his shorthanded goal in the first game of the season against the Sabres, and it happened again in the first period of his team’s home opener on Monday night, October 16th, which was a 2-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes. In the first period in that game, Kreider and Zibanejad went in on a 2-on-1, and Zibanejad faked a pass and slid it over to Kreider, who had a wide-open net to give his team a 1-0 lead.
He has also shown a knack for producing on special teams. He already has a power play goal and a shorthanded go, and as long as he continues to play the same way he always has in those situations, his offensive production will continue to rise.
Lastly, Kreider already has a good shooting percentage. Yes, it is early, but he has four goals on seven shots, which is good for a shooting percentage of 40 percent.
The season may be young, but if Kreider can continue to put the puck in the net, continue playing well with Zibanejad, and be a force on special teams, this could end up being another big season for him.
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