Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Rangers could not get anything going against the Washington Capitals and Braden Holtby on Monday night. They were shut out by the fifth-year goalie for the first time this postseason. Despite having great chances from both Rick Nash and Martin St. Louis, they were not able to break Holtby all game long.
Henrik Lundqvist played a great game. He allowed one goal on 22 shots. The Rangers played their game and got some really good performances. One could say they were a bounce or two away from taking this game. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to get a big goal when they needed it the most. This is where their X-factor comes in.
Chris Kreider has been the most clutch player for the Rangers, even if they are not aware of it. He scored the first goal in Game 2 just 38 seconds in. That set the tone. After the Rangers lost in literally the worst possible fashion, many thought the team would come into the game and be sluggish. Kreider made sure that wasn’t the case.
Every game of this series could be a one-goal game. These two teams are so evenly matched that the team with the most tenacity will win. Kreider has that kind of tenacity. He scored in the championship game while he was at Boston College. He scored six goals on the way to Junior World Championship gold back in 2010. This kid plays better when the lights are the brightest.
Despite going without a regular season game-winning goal through the early part of his career, he scored five this season. He has scored a game-winner in every single postseason. This is the player the Rangers need to lean on despite the fact that he is only 24 years old.
Kreider could propel himself to superstar status with a huge postseason. He showed that he has the grit that every team would want. He is currently best known for injuring Carey Price in last year’s postseason. Now, he can make himself known as the Eastern Conference‘s version of Justin Williams. He has shown skills during the regular season, but is the best in the game when the postseason happens.
To truly back up such a claim, he needs a Cup to call his own. If he can’t get the Rangers past the Capitals, fans will be having an entirely different conversation about him.
Nick Villano is the NHL feature writer for Rant Sports. He also adds to the site’s NBA, MLB and NFL content. You can follow him on Twitter or add him to your Google circle.
