Rangers need Chris Kreider to get going to advance to Stanley Cup Final

The New York Rangers would not be in the Eastern Conference Final without Chris Kreider. But it’s also looking like they won’t advance beyond the Eastern Conference Final unless Kreider gets going.

With the series tied up 2-2, Thursday night’s Game 5 could very well decide everything. The winner of that game will claim the lead, and more importantly, be one win away from a trip to the Stanley Cup Final. And if it’s Florida with the advantage, that likely means New York’s longest-tenured player failed to get on the board once again.

After scoring a hat-trick in the series-clinching game over Carolina, Kreider has struggled to find the back of the net against the Panthers. In fact, Kreider has been struggling so much as of late that he hasn’t even registered a point since that Game 6 performance in the second round on May 16. He wasn’t even able to fire a single shot on Tuesday night, a game the Rangers were still very much in before eventually losing 3-2 in overtime.

Kreider, a well-respected veteran player in the NHL, has actually even become a bit of a punchline. Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk responded to a question about a tussle with Kreider during Game 4 and jokingly said “I told him that was the best play he made all game” while referring to Kreider throwing his mouthguard.

So while Kreider has seven goals and 10 points in 14 games so far in the playoffs, his recent cold streak is coming when his team needs him the most. Obviously, Kreider knows he needs to be better, but New York can’t afford to wait around much longer.

It was said that Kreider furthered his Rangers legacy after the Carolina series, but the tough nature of the New York sports fan may cause some of that shine to dwindle if the Rangers fall shy of their ultimate goal as Kreider has one of the worst series of his career. One bad series on a big stage can cloud over his 75-point regular season and the 305 NHL goals he’s scored – all while wearing a Rangers jersey.

Of course, everything is not just on Kreider’s shoulders. Many could argue the defense has collapsed in front of Igor Shesterkin far too often, requiring the former Vezina winner to make acrobatic saves to give his team a chance.

But unfortunately for Kreider, part of being a leader is taking the brunt of the blame when your team loses, especially when it comes while you’re not at your best. It’s also possible this is Kreider’s last crack at lifting hockey’s Holy Grail — he’s the only player still remaining from New York’s last Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2014, a series it lost to the Los Angeles Kings.