PHILADELPHIA — Brad Richards thinks he has an explanation for Chris Kreider appearing almost paralyzed during much of the Rangers’ training camp before his assignment to the AHL Wolf Pack in the round of final cuts.
“Chris was pretty uptight in the preseason, understandably,” Richards said following Wednesday’s practice. “He wanted to make the team more than anybody.
“I worked out with him pretty much all of August in Connecticut, and that’s all he talked about and thought about. I haven’t seen too many guys work that hard to get himself ready. He might have pressed a little bit.
“He really wants it. Sometimes that can get in your way, can get your head in the way and things don’t look as smooth out there as maybe they should.”
Kreider, who remains an NHL rookie with a career total of 23 regular-season games (plus 26 in the playoffs), was recalled from Hartford on Sunday in the wake of the Blueshirts’ 4-0 defeat at New Jersey. He will add speed, size and a goal-scorer’s shot to a team lacking in those skill sets.
The 22-year-old will play left wing Thursday night against the Flyers on the top unit with Richards on the right and Derek Stepan in the middle as the Blueshirts seek to bolster an attack that is faltering without Rick Nash (concussion), Ryan Callahan (broken thumb) and Carl Hagelin (shoulder surgery rehab). Kreider also will get time on the first power-play unit.
He won’t be getting the time grudgingly from a coach waiting for a reason to minimize his role and reduce his ice time. The Rangers aren’t waiting for him to fail. They need him to succeed.
“He knows he’s getting a great opportunity, he’s playing on the power play, he’ll get good minutes,” Richards said. “Hopefully he can put that in his mind before the game even starts that [he’s] going to get this chance, and just relax and play, and maybe that will help him.”
Kreider, who has two NHL regular-season goals plus six in the playoffs, did pick up his game the final days of camp. His last preseason game was his best. He played with purpose in Hartford, scoring twice on 16 shots while adding a couple of assists in six games with the Wolf Pack.
“I’ve been around Chris a lot,” Stepan said. “I know there’s a lot he brings to the table for us.”
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Coach Alain Vigneault said he had not yet decided on the healthy scratch up front against the Flyers. Mats Zuccarello, who has struggled, going pointless as a top-six winger through the opening seven matches, rotated in and out of line drills with the third and fourth units at practice. Associate coach Scott Arniel had a lengthy chat with Zuccarello before the players came off the ice.
“I’m going to take one more look at Philly’s last game and then make up my mind,” said Vigneault, who is likely to sit Zuccarello in favor of 6-foot-4, 220-pounder Brandon Mashinter, also recalled from the Wolf Pack on Sunday.
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Vigneault said Michael Del Zotto, a healthy scratch against the Devils, would return on the blue line. Justin Falk is likely to become the odd man out on defense. … The Rangers (2-5) haven’t started a season with fewer than five points in their first eight games since the 1980-81 club opened 2-6. The 2007-08 team started 2-5-1.