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Chris Kreider Will Be Key for New York Rangers In Conference Finals

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When the New York Rangers take the ice in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the matchup to keep an eye on will be Rangers’ forward Chris Kreider vs. Lightning goalie Ben Bishop. The outcome of this matchup might very well decide the series and decide whether or not the Rangers get another shot at Lord Stanley’s Cup.

As Rangers’ fans, and the Lightning know, Kreider loves to crash the net. He is becoming quite good at it and several of his 21 goals this season came on going hard to the net. This postseason, Kreider is tied for the team lead with five goals, two of which came in Game 6 against the Washington Capitals. He creates for himself in front of the net and won’t shy away from being physical in front of the net. That is exactly what Bishop hates.

Bishop is a big guy but for being so big he tends to shy away from physicality in front of the net. The Montreal Canadiens were able to rattle but not break Bishop, failing to get to rebounds consistently and not able to keep up the physicality in front of the net. The goal for the Rangers should be to take advantage of the Lightning defense, which should allow the Rangers to take advantage of their speed and crash the net and bury rebounds.

This is where Kreider should be able to stand out among his peers. He has a knack for getting under a goalie’s skin — just ask Martin Brodeur — and turn the physical game into a mental one. That is where Bishop, who is emerging as one of the better goaltenders in the NHL, is weakest. He hates people in front of his net but he is certainly capable, as he proved in the semifinals, of overcoming those mental lapses and playing at an elite level. The Rangers will need to keep up the pressure on Bishop and not allow him to settle into his game. This is where Kreider will prove to be the most valuable player for the Rangers in this series.

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