As the Ducks geared up for their biggest test of the young season on Thursday, they drew newfound confidence from newcomer Chris Kreider, whose chi was palpable postgame after pouring in three points in Tuesday’s home opener against Pittsburgh.
Kreider, who will confront the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night, not only opened and closed the scoring with a pair of power-play markers, but assisted on the Ducks’ first go-ahead goal Tuesday. Along with fellow acquisition Mikael Granlund and new assistant coach Jay Woodcroft, Kreider has invigorated the Ducks’ perpetually hapless power play, which has dangled at the bottom of the league during the span of seven postseason-less campaigns (during the same seven years, Carolina established an NHL-best string of Stanley Cup playoff appearances in which they won at least one round).
What’s more, Kreider’s four goals in three games – three on the power play and another six-on-five – have come at a time when his former franchise, the New York Rangers, has sputtered. The Blue Shirts set an ignominious mark as the first modern-era team to be shut out in the first three home games of a season. They shipped Kreider west at a cut rate this past summer.
While Kreider, who spent parts of 14 seasons in Manhattan, has never been the type that might juxtapose his success with his former teammates’ struggles, he was emphatic and visibly satisfied when asked if making a strong impression with his new club felt good.
“Of course. Yeah, um, yes. Yeah. Yes,” an elated Kreider responded.
Kreider’s accomplishments haven’t just overshadowed those of his former teammates recently either. They also dwarfed those of his current cohorts across 85 games. His three power-play goals in the span of just two games, wins over San Jose and Pittsburgh, are as many as Frank Vatrano had over the course of 2024-25 and 2025-26, to date, combined. Kreider is just one goal back of Troy Terry and Leo Carlsson for second place during that period, and is hot on the heels of Mason McTavish’s team-leading six tallies for a heretofore atrocious power play.
“He’s a premier power-play guy, and he’s been that way for years now,” said Terry, who added that Kreider has improved the communication among the top unit. “He gives us a sense of confidence and that anchor at the net. He wins puck battles. When we had shots, we got more pucks back because he was winning them.”
Kreider joined Vatrano, the currently injured Ryan Strome and defenseman Jacob Trouba as one-time Rangers now calling Orange County home. On Thursday, they will face another former Ranger in K’Andre Miller, the big, mobile defenseman who was traded from the Rangers to the ’Canes this offseason in a blockbuster swap.
He and rookie Alexander Nikishin have reshaped Carolina’s defense to add fresh facets to an organization that has become the class of the Metropolitan Division under Rod Brind’Amour. That prosperity has persisted early, with the ’Canes winning all three of their games thus far by a convincing 15-7 aggregate margin.
CAROLINA AT DUCKS
When: Thursday, 7 p.m.
Where: Honda Center
TV/radio: KCOP (Ch. 13), Victory+