Chris Kreider sets up shop on the power play and sets a Rangers playoff record

NEWARK, N.J. — Patrick Kane has been on some pretty good power plays over his 15 years in Chicago, but the one he’s part of now with the Rangers has something new.

“I’ve never really played with a guy who can tip it off the ice like that,” Kane said of Chris Kreider, who had two deflections at the net front for power-play goals in the Rangers’ Game 1 win. “The second one was up high but he has that ability to chip it off the ice, so it’s a little different in that sense. He’s very crafty with that play.”

Kreider’s two-goal Game 1 gave him the Rangers franchise record for playoff goals with 36 as well as the playoff power-play goal record with 14. He scored goals like those two with incredible regularity in his 52-goal, 26-PPG season in 2021-22 — Kreider had eight of those 26 power-play goals either on deflections or what Clear Sight Hockey categorizes as low slot-line plays, like Kreider’s first goal on Tuesday. That’s not really a deflection because Adam Fox’s shot/pass would have gone wide, so it’s not a traditional deflection.

Kreider not only scored eight such power-play goals last year, he did it on 14 scoring chances — a ridiculous 57.1 percent conversion rate that reflected the quality and highly fortunate season he had a year ago.

Contrast that with Kreider’s power-play numbers in the 2022-23 regular season: Eight power-play goals total, three on deflections/low slot-line passes out of 24 chances. Down from 57.1 percent to 12.5 percent. Some of that is regression and some, as Fox said, was opposing penalty killers making sure they knew where the league’s reigning power-play producer was at all times.

“Teams were definitely game-planning for that play,” said Fox, who sent both plays in for Kreider’s deflections in Game 1, part of a four-assist night for Fox. “It’s a little bit about executing, you obviously have to get it right there for him to make that play. We’ve tried it a few times this year.”

Devils coach Lindy Ruff bemoaned his penalty kill’s failures leading up to Kreider’s goals: On the first, Mika Zibanejad was tossed from the faceoff circle but Kreider cleanly won the draw from Nico Hischier, not bad for a guy in Kreider who took 84 faceoffs total this season and just the one on Tuesday.

On the second, the Devils failed to clear the puck before Kreider tipped Fox’s one-timer over Vitek Vanecek. Kreider simply hasn’t been that open on many power plays this season and the Devils’ PK decision to keep their diamond intact and not collapse on No. 20 was costly.

“They have a lot of weapons,” Ruff said. “You try to take one away and you obviously open up something else. You try to pick what you think is the best opportunity to kill their power play off and you run with it.”

Kreider being less of a power play factor this season didn’t hurt the Rangers overall because of that array of weapons. They were seventh in the league this season at 24.1 percent after finishing fourth at 25.2 percent in 2021-22 and they scored more PPGs this season, 59, than the 55 they had on 27 fewer power plays a season ago. Zibanejad had 20 power-play goals with more room to deliver his crushing one-timer thanks to Kreider being occupied at the net front more.

“We have guys in pretty good positions right now to beat you a lot of ways,” Kane said. “The thing I really like about the power play right now is we kind of talk about one or two plays before we go out there for the faceoff. We have that in our minds and if they don’t work we’ve got a bunch of other options too.”

The Rangers’ power play was front and center in Game 1, as was their 4-for-4, no-shots-on-goal-allowed penalty kill. Kreider getting comfortable in front of the Devils’ net could be an issue in the series, either giving him confidence or drawing more attention to free up one of the other elite skill players on that top unit.

Kreider would never say a word about the playoff goal record. He broke a tie with Rod Gilbert on his first goal, then his second gave him one more playoff PPG than Adam Graves. That’s impressive company with the two greatest Ranger ambassadors of the last 50 years to go with two clutch playoff performers. And Kreider, now at 101 games also within shouting distance of the team’s playoff games record behind former teammates Marc Staal (107) and Dan Girardi (122), looks like he’s just getting started this postseason.

(Photo: Vincent Carchietta / USA TODAY Sports)