Now that Chris Kreider officially has the third-most goals in New York Rangers franchise history, I thought it would be fun to share my top-five favorite goals throughout his career.
5: Kreider Scores on Martin Brodeur In Game 1 of ECF (2012)
This was the first time in my life that I had seen the Rangers play in the Eastern Conference Finals. Kreider had already scored a couple of goals on this playoff run, but getting one on Martin Brodeur felt a little different.
4: Kreider Gives The Rangers A 2-0 Lead in Game 3 of the ECF Against Tampa (2022)
This goal has some mixed emotions to it. I remember sitting in the NHL's studio, on set for The Third Period Live Show, but I couldn't contain my excitement.
The Rangers 2022 run had magic to it, but when Kreider scored this goal, it truly felt like this was a team of destiny. This goal put the Tampa Bay Lightning, who were the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champions in a stranglehold.
The Rangers were up 2-0 in the series and just took a 2-0 lead in Game 3.
We don't have to talk about what happened next, but in this exact moment, it felt like that team could really win the Stanley Cup.
3: Kreider Ties Game 3 of the ECF in the Dying Minutes (2014)
This was my Senior year of high school. I vividly remember being at a house party and while everyone was in the basement, I was upstairs in the living room watching the last few minutes of the third period with a couple of other people. Similar to Kreider's goal against Tampa that I had ranked as #4, this goal felt like nothing could stop the Rangers from winning.
They had gone into Montreal and taken both games on the road. To then come home and have an incredible game-tying goal like this was beyond electric.
I was jumping up-and-down in that living room on Split Rock Road.
2: Kreider Keeps The Rangers Season Alive With Late Goal On Holtby (2015)
The 2014-15 season was special.
For this goal, I was at a bar in Austin, Texas visiting my best friend in his Freshman year at the University of Texas. The Rangers had won the President's Trophy as the best team in the NHL, but they were on the brink of being eliminated.
I don't think anyone was ready for that season to be over. It felt like there was no way that the Rangers would actually lose.
When Kreider scored this goal, it went from relief to belief in the matter of a split second. We had seen the Rangers come back from a 3-1 series deficit the year before against the Penguins, so there was no reason why they couldn't do it again. They just needed that tying goal to get them going.
1: Kreider Opens Up The Scoring In Game 7 Against The Penguins (2022)
It was a beautiful Sunday in New York City. The build up to this game was unlike anything I have been apart of.
I had been to Game 7's before in my lifetime, but this one felt like it was going to be a wild night even hours before puck drop.
This was the Rangers first playoff series since 2017, so the buzz around the Garden felt different.
Also, if you remember, Kreider had that pretty popular quote after the Game 6 come from behind victory.
"Place is gonna be a jungle, it's not a Garden. It's gonna be a jungle. No place louder right now."
The New York Rangers were returning home after erasing a 3-1 series deficit to the Pittsburgh Penguins and coming back from down two goals in Game 6.
Madison Square Garden became Madison Square Jungle when Kreider scored the games first goal. This would turn out to be not only one of the best hockey games I'd ever been to, but one of the best night's of my life.
The bars around MSG were going off until around 3 o'clock in the morning. I remember walking from Murray Hill to the East Village, high-fiving everyone I saw in a Rangers jersey.
It was an incredible night to be a New York Rangers fan.
Kreider has scored a ton of big goals throughout his career with the Rangers.
Hopefully he has a few more left in him.