Tied for first place is nice, but Chris Kreider is more focused on the big picture
Cody McLeod of the New York Rangers celebrates his first period goal against the Islanders with his teammates at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday in Manhattan. Credit: Jim McIsaac
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — With 60 games to go, the Rangers are tied for first place in the Metropolitan Division.
That’s nice and all, but Chris Kreider isn’t easily impressed.
“The difference between first and last in our division is like a game or so,’’ Kreider said after practice on Thanksgiving Day before heading to Philadelphia for Friday’s matinee with the Flyers. “You’ve just got to focus on the day-to-day stuff.
“We want to be in the mix,’’ the ultra-focused Kreider said. “We want to make the playoffs. That’s where we want to be. Will it be wire-to-wire? Whatever it is, we want to be in the playoff picture.’’
It has become a thing in recent years to take note of the NHL standings on Thanksgiving Day, because teams holding a playoff spot that day reach the postseason roughly 75 percent of the time. Last year, six of the eight Eastern Conference teams holding a playoff spot qualified at the end. Only the Islanders and Red Wings dropped out of the picture after Black Friday.
So the Rangers, who are 9-1-1 in their last 11 games and 12-8-2 (26 points) overall, had a lot to be thankful for Thursday, including getting winger Mats Zuccarello back at practice. He missed six of the last seven games with a groin strain.
“I know they’re tricky,’’ Zuccarello said of his injury. “You think you’re good and then you push it too hard, especially when you’re going good and the team’s doing well. You want to be a part of it, so you kind of push yourself. But it’s one of those injuries that’s tricky. I never had it before, so it took some time for me to get used to the feeling and how it should feel.’’
Zuccarello missed three games with the injury and then came back to play in the 7-5 loss to the Islanders on Nov. 15. But he realized during the game that he wasn’t healed, so he sat out the next three games. But he said he feels better now.
The Rangers will need him against the Flyers, especially given that rugged winger Cody McLeod, who scored his first goal of the season (and first as a Ranger) in Wednesday’s 5-0 win over the Islanders, suffered a broken hand in the game and will be lost for an extended period.
McLeod was injured in a second-period fight with the Islanders’ Ross Johnston. Rangers coach David Quinn said the Rangers expect him to be out four to six weeks or so.
The Rangers have only 13 forwards, including McLeod, who hasn’t yet been placed on injured reserve. To dress 12 forwards Friday, they’ll need Zuccarello or a call-up from Hartford.
If Zuccarello can’t go, Quinn didn’t rule out the possibility of dressing 11 forwards and seven defensemen.
“That’s something we’ve discussed, and we haven’t finalized anything yet,’’ he said. “We’re hoping [Zuccarello] can go.’’
Notes & quotes: Quinn said Henrik Lundqvist will start Friday. He wouldn’t say if Lundqvist will play Saturday at home against Washington . . . D Marc Staal and forwards Mika Zibanejad and Vlad Namestnikov had maintenance days and didn’t practice.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
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