A pair of veteran natives from New England are providing top play for their NHL teams early in the 2021-22 campaign, with Chris Kreider and Jonathan Quick making waves for the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings.
Boxford, Mass. product Kreider is on pace for a career year with 9 goals in his first 13 games, good for a tie (with Detroit’s Tyler Bertuzzi) for third in the league behind Alexander Ovechkin (11) and Leon Draisaitl (10). His previous season-best for goals has been 28 markers, done twice.
What stands out with the former Boston College and national champion is his 25 percent shooting percentage, the key to his blistering offensive start. That’s not going to be sustainable over an entire 82-game schedule, but that white-hot touch is what has put him well on his way to the first 30-goal campaign and potentially a lot more.
As for Quick, it’s been a tough couple of years for the 15-year veteran and two-time Stanley Cup champion who is off to his best start since 2017-18, when he finished the season with a 2.40 goals-against average and .921 save percentage to go with 28 wins for the Kings.
The Milford, Conn. native is currently 3-3-1, but his 2.26 GAA and .924 save percentage has him back near the top of the pack for the first time in quite a while. Part of his struggles have to do with the decline of the Kings after the team won NHL championships in 2012 and 2014, but he’s healthy and making key saves in the early going.
We will break down why they’ve found early success and how both can stay on a roll.
Kreider's resurgence began with a new deal
Previous Rangers GM Jeff Gorton (Melrose, Mass.) signed Kreider to a seven-year, $45.5 million extension in Feb. 2020 after speculation beginning in the 2018-19 NHL campaign that he might be on the trade block. Gorton’s commitment to the now 30-year-old looks brilliant in hindsight, especially if he tallies 40-plus goals this year when all is said and done. Gorton is no longer with the Rangers to enjoy the fruits of his foresight, but successor Chris Drury (Trumbull, Conn.) is no doubt thankful that Kreider was not sold off during the Rangers’ recent season struggles.
In his first year of the extension, he scored 20 goals in 50 games, which would have been good for his first 30-goal season had the schedule not been shortened due to COVID-19. He immediately gave the Rangers bang for their buck on his contract valued at a $6.5 annual average value (AAV), running through 2027.
He’s getting the job done now, but there are myriad reasons that Kreider will continue to justify that cap hit even as he gets toward the end of the life of the deal and into his mid-30’s, out of his prime.
Breakaway speed + getting to the net = goals
Kreider could always fly. Boy, could he ever.
He showcased it while lighting it up for Masconomet High and Phillips Andover en route to becoming the 19th overall selection in the NHL Entry Draft by the Rangers in 2009. That speed became a national calling card for him while a member of the Eagles and helped the team to earn two national championships in 2010 and 2012. He turned pro after winning it all after his junior season at the Heights, and the magic continued, as he helped the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference final series, losing to the New Jersey Devils. Two years later, all the way to the Stanley Cup Final before falling to the Kings (and Quick) in 2014.
Kreider scored his season-best 28 goals twice, in 2017 and 2019. Though he’s bound to cool off, he’s on pace to more than double that.
What has been an important factor to his success are that he’s used his speed and size to consistently drive to the front of the net. Six of his nine goals have come on the man advantage, where he’s been able to use his tall frame to box out defenders and tip shots into the back of the net, or fight off checks to grab loose change and put it home. His average ice time is about 19 minutes, a full 2 min-1:30 higher than each of his previous 28-goal years. Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant is employing Kreider to kill penalties, which makes sense when you consider just how explosive he is.
Again, scoring at a 25 percent clip is not sustainable, but if Kreider continues to generate quality shots and keep getting to the front of the net, even if that percentage drops off to under, he’s still well on track to put up 35 or more goals. His shooting percentage both years he tallied 28 was 15.1 and 13.9 respectively. His physical attributes make him a volume shooter, so getting off to such a great start is going to fuel his production going forward. The power play opportunities will be there, but the Rangers and Kreider have room to improve their 5-on-5 play and production.
“I think it’s coming in spurts,” Kreider told media while on the road in Western Canada when asked about even strength scoring. “I think there have been moments, but at the same time, it’s something we’ve been working on and something we’ve got to be better at. Guys are definitely getting used to each other. There’s a lot of communication: on the bench, on the ice- trying to figure out where guys are going, what they’re thinking.”
There’s also that x-factor of confidence and happiness. The Rangers invested in Kreider, and now that he’s piling up the goals in bunches, he is undoubtedly feeling some of the weight of expectations falling off as he is proving to be a bargain.
He’ll no doubt have to continue what he’s started, but for now, as he closes in on 600 career games and 200 goals, he’s proving that the team was right to take him inside the top-20 and avoid the temptation of trading him away.
Kreider’s time is now.
Quick building back to previous levels
Quick signed a 10-year extension entering the 2013-14 season with a $5.8 million AAV, but he was paid a base salary of $7 million per year through 2020. His base salary dropped to $3.5 million in 2020-21 and he’s getting paid $3 million by the Kings this season, with a $2.5 million base next year. The cap hit remains the same, but with his current level of play, he’s one of the bigger bargains in net this year.
The former UMass star is healthy and looks more confident, working back to the memories of when he was a workhorse for the Kings and took Stanley Cup MVP honors, joining Mike Richter and Tim Thomas as American goaltenders who dazzled fans with their NHL playoff heroics.
Never a technique and fundamentals goaltender, relying more on his reflexes and a battling mentality, Quick is still hurling himself around his crease at 35, but he’s making the stops. He recently neutralized the high-flying Toronto Maple Leafs offense in a 5-1 victory, making 33 saves. The Kings were outplayed in a lot of facets, but the goaltender proved to be the difference.
"You don't win in this League without having good goaltending,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said after his team won its fifth straight game. “Rarely do you leave the rink, I don't think anybody can remember a night where you say, 'Boy we got terrible goaltending yet won the game'. That doesn't happen. The winning team often gets the best goaltending, and Quick was really good when he needed to be."
Entering the new season, Quick appeared to be giving way to another American goalie, former Notre Dame star Cal Petersen, entering the season, but the veteran has kept the youngster at bay. Both have 3 wins each, but Quick’s GAA and save percentage totals are significantly higher right now. That is key to keeping him rolling with the starts, but the two have had a pretty even split of the goaltending chores thus far. Petersen has credited Quick for his mentorship and his return to form something that is helping him raise his own game.
“I think when both guys are giving us good games, even though they’re friends and teammates, they’re both two competitive guys and they push each other to bring out their best,” team goalie coach Bill Ranford told the All The Kings Men podcast.
How Quick can keep it going
At 35, staying healthy and taking care of his body will be integral to Quick maintaining his early season form.
He has a lot of mileage on his body. During the last decade, he played in at least 61 games in six seasons. His playing style also generates the potential for wear and tear, but he’s tracking pucks well and making big saves on quality scoring chances. When goalies have confidence going and trust themselves, the puck only gets bigger and easier to stop. With his proven track record of winning in the biggest pressure situations you can face, Quick is a solid bet to keep things rolling.
Oh, and a good dose of luck never hurt, either.
