The NY Rangers made quick work of the Pittsburgh Penguins a few nights ago, beating them 6-0, and the forwards were absolutely on fire in producing points in that game. Chris Kreider, in particular, played well, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he enjoyed a repeat performance against the Utah Hockey Club.
Now, Utah has proven to be one resilient team since arriving in Salt Lake City, and they’ve made it clear that nobody in the NHL, not even the reigning Presidents’ Trophy Champions, should take them lightly. And if you remember correctly, when they were still playing as the Arizona Coyotes, Utah was one of the better teams in the league for the first half of the season.
But the Rangers played and crushed a team that also put six goals up in its most recent game, the Pittsburgh Penguins. They look like a team out to avenge that loss in the Eastern Conference Final that once again kept them from contending for hockey’s ultimate prize, the Stanley Cup.
NY Rangers forwards will put on a show vs. the Utah Hockey Club
We also need to remember that Utah is still a young team and one that hasn’t played a top-tier group like the Rangers. Facing more marginal talent early in the year is a great way to build confidence within a youthful group, but are they good enough to hang with the Rangers?
Maybe if they catch the Blueshirts on a bad day, they’ll skate away with an upset, and yes, throughout 82 games, there will be some bad days. But this early in the season, coming off of a convincing win against a respectable team?
That’s not happening tonight, so expect New York’s forwards to go to work early, and a goal or two in the first frame will set the tone for the rest of this one. Plus, Chris Kreider should also be more than motivated to keep his hot streak going, which further tells me this one will end up with a multiple-goal win for the good guys.
The more momentum the Blueshirts can build early this season, the greater the chances they’ll have repeating as ‘regular season champions’ in the long run. But we all know that in 2024-25, they’ll be looking for something more than just a Presidents’ Trophy. And beating upstart teams like Utah is a convincing way to show the league they’re once again among its elite.