Rangers’ Chris Kreider gave teammates third-period guarantee before hat trick

Kreider’s climb up the Rangers record books has not ceased this season. 

After his series-clinching effort — which also included seven shots on goal, one block and two hits — Kreider became the third player in franchise history to score three goals in a single playoff period. 

He now stands among greats Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky as the only Rangers to do it. 

“That is just a monster third period,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “I mean, he put it on his back. He really delivered. It was more than him, but at the end of the day, we needed to score goals and this is what he does. This is what he did tonight. It was a pretty unbelievable performance by him, especially for a guy who wasn’t on the ice [Wednesday]. To come back and throw in a game like that, throw in a third period like that, is pretty special.” 

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Kreider finished Round 2 with four goals and two assists, giving him seven goals and three assists in these playoffs. 

The significance of his Game 6 performance in particular, however, is the kind that cements legacies. 

With the Rangers on the verge of a return to the Garden for an anything-can-happen Game 7, Kreider took matters into his own hands. 

Taking into consideration that he had to miss the Rangers’ practice Wednesday for “maintenance” purposes, it made Kreider’s performance all the more impressive. 

“He put the team on his back,” Barclay Goodrow said. “He’s been doing it for as long as I’ve been here. I’ve said whenever we need something in big moments, he’s getting it done for us. It’s great to play with a guy like that.”