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New York Rangers: Storylines to watch out for in Carolina opener

By Andrew Steele-Davis

Mika Zibanejad #93 of the New York Rangers stands near the bench during warm ups before an exhibition game against the New York Islanders. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images)
Mika Zibanejad #93 of the New York Rangers stands near the bench during warm ups before an exhibition game against the New York Islanders. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images) /
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The New York Islanders and the New York Rangers stand together as the Canadian and American national anthems are played before the start of an exhibition game.
The New York Islanders and the New York Rangers stand together as the Canadian and American national anthems are played before the start of an exhibition game. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images) /

2. Return of the Krieds

He logged 16:17 of total ice time against the New York Islanders on Wednesday, but Saturday will be the first real meaningful action for Chris Kreider since the pause.

It will also be the first high-pressured environment in which the power forward can test out his foot, which was fractured in March prior to the world literally stopping.

One blessing of the NHL having to go on hiatus due to COVID-19 was the fact that Kreider had ample time to rest, recover and rehab, thus ensuring he was ready for any restart.

That time has now come and a fully healthy Chris Kreider will be a vital ingredient for the Rangers in this Best-of-Five series against the Hurricanes.

The coaching staff and front office will be hoping that the exhibition game against the New York Islanders on Wednesday was enough to help Kreider get back into the swing of things and shake off any rust, although don’t be surprised if it takes the 29-year-old more time to regain full sharpness.

Of course, time isn’t a luxury you can afford in a Best-of-Five series so it will be fascinating to watch Kreider in his first few shifts against the Canes on Saturday.

If he can rediscover the formula that led to 45 points (24 goals, 21 assists) in 63 games prior to the pause, and quickly, coupled with a real hot streak in the buildup to the Trade Deadline, then that could be the difference for the Rangers in Game 1.

Because, as we all know, a dialled in Chris Kreider is impossible to handle and the forward should have extra motivation to really lead this team after signing a long-term extension back in February.

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