It was not all smiles last night at the Garden when the Rangers won their first game of the season, 4-3 in overtime against the Bruins.
That especially was true for rookie forward Chris Kreider, who finished the game with a total of 7:21 of ice time, with just one shift in each the second and third periods.
“He just hasn’t played well,” coach John Tortorella said. “That’s something we really have to talk about as an organization.”
Kreider started the game on a line with Derek Stepan and Ryan Callahan, but after taking a bad hooking penalty with just under five minutes remaining in the first period, he practically was stapled to the bench.
“We need to be really careful in how we’re dealing with a kid with a number of assets,” Tortorella said, “to make sure that process is correct for him.”
Kreider, 21, was the sweetheart of the Rangers’ playoff run to the Eastern Conference finals last year, playing his first 18 games all in the postseason after winning his second national championship at Boston College. But that great play has not translated to this season, where after playing the whole lockout in the AHL, he didn’t get a full training camp and might find himself back in Hartford before he knows it.
“What’s best for Chris and us,” Tortorella said, “we have to make a decision there. Because I don’t want him in a situation here, with the scrutiny on this club, hurting him.”
* With Rangers’ tough-guy Arron Asham tending to what the team called a “mild groin strain,” Stu Bickel moved up from defense to fill Asham’s fourth-line forward spot. He played a total of four shifts for 3:00 total.
Bickel has played forward for the Blueshirts before, but had started the first two games of the season on defense, his natural position.
“I got to be prepared to play both,” Bickel said yesterday morning. “It doesn’t really affect my mental preparation or anything like that. I bring the same elements to the table either way.”
Tortorella called Asham’s injury day-to-day, and it’s unknown if he’ll be available for tonight’s game in Philadelphia.
* Steve Eminger replaced Bickel on defense and got just eight shifts for 6:06 total.