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Watch: Rangers star breaks out of slump with big short-handed goal
The big story for the New York Rangers going into Thursday's Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Florida Panthers was the lack of offense from forwards Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad.
The two star forwards had combined for no goals and no points over the first four games of the series, a stunning lack of production for two of their best and most important players.
They finally broke through early in the second period with Kreider scoring the game's first goal with a helper from Zibanejad.
Not only was it Kreider's first goal of the series, it was also a shorthanded goal that already gives the Rangers six shorthanded goals in the playoffs.
Here is a look at the play.
CHRIS KREIDER SHORTHANDED ON THE BREAKAWAY! #StanleyCup
— NHL (@NHL) May 31, 2024
: @espn & ESPN+ ➡️ https://t.co/Pp9X7OGP3W
: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/sEijvXhbA1 pic.twitter.com/LhcgXOteOD
For perspective, the Rangers scored seven shorthanded goals over the course of an entire 82-game regular season. Already scoring six shorthanded goals in less than 20 playoff games is an outrageous number.
Kreider scored 39 goals during the regular season and had already tallied seven goals in the first 10 games of the playoffs, including a hat trick in the Rangers' come-from-behind series-clinching win against the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round.
If the Rangers are going to win this series and make their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 2014, they are going to need more from their top-line players (Kreider, Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin).
This goal helps them do just that.
More must-reads:
- Rangers need Chris Kreider to get going to advance to Stanley Cup Final
- Who are the current captains of every NHL team?
- The 'Vezina Trophy winners' quiz
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