The New York Rangers have come close to ruling the Eastern Conference all season, and they sit just six points away from taking the lead as they enter the most pivotal part of their 2023-24 campaign. They are also first in the Metropolitan Division, but if the Rangers get too comfortable, they will lose that top spot to a surging Carolina Hurricanes team.
Therefore, several top-notch players must either take their respective play up a notch or rediscover what made them such phenomenal players in the past. One name who will always wow crowds from now until April is Artemi Panarin, whose 67 points and 31 goals more than pace the team.
No, Panarin won’t give you much when the Rangers don’t have the puck, but there are quite a few players more than willing to do the dirty work, some of which are listed below.
Chris Kreider must be the go-to in clutch situations
Before we talk about those willing to buckle down and play a solid game in the defensive zone (or between the pipes), Chris Kreider is one player whose game needs to continue at its current trend. He’s fourth on the team in points with 45, and Kreider is also leading the Rangers with a plus-14 rating, nine power play goals (tied with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck), and five game-winning goals.
The final two numbers listed above show us that Kreider is one of the best players on the team in clutch moments. If the Rangers need the go-ahead goal, he’s often there to score it, and you can say the same when New York is on the man advantage.
While guys like Panarin are always the go-to, Kreider must keep giving himself scoring chances, as New York has only benefited from his situational production. During close contests especially, the Rangers must keep calling his number.