As we wait for the puck to drop on game three of the series between the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden, playoff hockey around the league is raging on regardless. There has been a lot to learn from after the opening two games of the postseason, and as all the series around the league now shift to a different city from the one they started in, there’s a lot to see.
Arguably the biggest standout candidate from this postseason so far may be New York’s own Chris Kreider. Kreider has been an enormous part of the Rangers’ success to this point with four goals in just two games, there is some chatter of the Boxford, Massachusetts native being one of the favorites for the Conn Smythe trophy. He’s been a major part of the Blueshirts coming back from New Jersey with two wins.
When I say a major part, by the way, he’s got four goals in two games. Now, it is true that all four of his tallies this postseason have been on the man advantage but to be a good playoff team you need to have success on the powerplay and that is exactly what Kreider is helping the Rangers achieve. While this does not mean that there is a success from Kreider at even strength statistically, anyone that has watched this series knows he has been sensational to this point.
If you do not know what the Conn Smythe Trophy is because you are new to hockey or you just don’t remember which award is for what, which is a common problem with all the awards being named after legends of the beginning of the game, the Conn Smythe is the trophy that goes to playoff MVP. It’s awarded after the Stanley Cup Finals and you need to make the finals to be eligible.
Very rarely does it go to a player on the losing team in the Cup final. Five times has it gone to a player on the team that didn’t win and only one of those five times did it go to a skater and not a netminder. That was back in 1976 when Reggie Leach won it. For those wondering, the last time it was awarded to a player on a losing team was 2003 when Jean-Sebastian Giguere won it after the Ducks’ loss to the New Jersey Devils.
It means that if Kreider is going to win that award, one that he will be thoroughly deserving of if he can sustain this and help the Rangers get to the finals and perhaps even win the cup, he will have to be the favorite for it right now. There really isn’t anyone else in the league that is keeping their team in the series quite like Kreider is doing. All of the New York fan base would love to see him win it too.