Chris Kreider has only been a penalty killer for five seasons now, and yet, the longest tenured Ranger leads the NHL in shorthanded goals over that span.
After scoring his first shorty of the season in the Blueshirts’ season-opening shutout of the Penguins on Wednesday, Kreider now leads the NHL with 10 since ex-head coach Gerard Gallant first put him on the PK in 2021-22.
“I’ve often found that power play guys are really good penalty killers,” head coach Peter Laviolette said Friday after practice. “They see setups and they know what’s about to happen. And that second of anticipation or positioning or his stick or a read, they oftentimes get it and see it.
“They can become really effective penalty killers, as well. I think he has that. And then I think he has an explosiveness the other way to put a power play on edge because there could be something happening going the opposite direction. So I think it’s a combination of both. He works at it.
“He’s a smart guy. I think he thinks the game pretty well. For him to understand the penalty kill and pick that up that doesn’t surprise me.”
Over the course of his first nine seasons with the Rangers, Kreider logged just over 40 minutes of shorthanded ice time in total.
His PK time jumped to 125 total minutes in 2021-22 alone, which reached over 130 the following season and 128 last season.
During the playoffs last season, Kreider scored two shorthanded goals and recorded one assist on the PK.
He accumulated six total shorthanded shot attempts over 16 postseason contests.
Jimmy Vesey (lower body) skated on his own on Friday, while Ryan Lindgren (upper-body) continued to participate in practice in a green non-contact jersey.
The Rangers defenseman is also still wearing a full face shield.
Matt Rempe got the first rep with Sam Carrick and Adam Edstrom on the fourth line, indicating the 6-foot-8 ½ forward could make his season debut against the Utah HC at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
To further suggest it, Jonny Brodzinski — who played Opening Night in that right-wing spot — skated as an extra defenseman with seventh defenseman Chad Ruhwedel.
