When the New York Rangers opened their 2013-14 NHL campaign on Oct. 3 in Phoenix, Chris Kreider was not included in the team's immediate plans.
Disappointed with the 22-year-old's showing throughout training camp and preseason, incoming coach Alain Vigneault demoted Kreider to the organization's AHL outfit, the Hartford Wolfpack, where he was to remain indefinitely.
But injuries and a pitiful display by the team in the early going (2-5 in their first seven games) forced AV to play his hand. In hopes that he could inject the senior team with some youthful enthusiasm, Kreider—who scored four points in six games with Hartford—was recalled prematurely.
Thrown into the fire in Philadelphia on Oct. 24, Kreider looked refreshed and determined. He assisted on the Rangers' only goal of the game, but also, for the first time in over a year, he didn't look timid.
He continued to impress over the course of the next couple of games, despite not registering a point, but in the Rangers' first meeting with the New York Islanders on Oct. 29, Kreider began to make legitimate strides. ...
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Article written by Andrew Capitelli