Chris Kreider scores again for Rangers, breaks NHL record

Chris Kreider scored yet another goal for the New York Rangers on Saturday afternoon as they opened up a 2-1 series lead over the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference Final.

It's already the fifth goal this postseason for Kreider, which is pretty impressive when you consider that when the playoffs began he had never appeared in an NHL game. Before the playoffs he was still playing in the NCAA for the Boston College Eagles, and was a somewhat surprising addition to the Rangers roster.

So far he hasn't disappointed, and is now second on the team in goal-scoring this postseason.

His goal on Saturday also broke a 59-year-old NHL record for scoring the most playoff goals before having played in a regular season game. So he has that going for him, too.



The previous record belonged to Eddie Mazur, a forward for the Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks in the 1950s. Mazur scored four goals over parts of three postseasons between 1950 and 1953 before he appeared in his first regular season game during the 1953-54 season. He only played three regular seasons in the NHL, scoring just eight goals.

Kreider has scored all of his goals in just one postseason, and it's looking like he has a much longer career ahead of him.

The Rangers have done a pretty good job when it comes to putting him in positions to succeed offensively this postseason, not forcing him into tough situations. Even though he entered Saturday's game facing the seventh toughest competition on the team, they've rarely asked him to start a shift in the defensive zone which has allowed him to focus more on his offense and not worry too much about defensive responsibilities.

But give Kreider credit. He's done a great job of pushing the play and keeping the puck in the offensive zone (better than most of his more experienced teammates) and has shown an ability to finish and put the puck in the net for a team that's struggled offensively the entire postseason.

If you're going to win the Stanley Cup, sometimes you need the type of surprising performances that Kreider has provided.

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