Rangers rookie Chris Kreider already has impressed on the ice, including his eventual game-winning goal in Monday’s 3-2 Game 6 win over Ottawa to force a decisive Game 7 at the Garden tomorrow night.
But Rangers coach John Tortorella has been even more impressed with the way Kreider, who led Boston College to a national title earlier this month, has handled everything off the ice.
“He comes to a team in the middle of the playoffs after winning a championship in college, and I’m sure there’s a letdown after the [college] season is over,” Tortorella said on a conference call yesterday. “And, not only coming into the playoffs, but an elimination game last night.
“I just don’t think much fazes the guy. The mindset, the mental part of it, that’s what’s really interesting … I’ve been really impressed with that.”
Tortorella and the Rangers have consistently stressed all season that each game is no different than the one before it. So it comes as little surprise the coach would think the same way about the first Game 7 at Madison Square Garden since the Rangers claimed the Stanley Cup in 1994.
“My thought is to win it,” he said. “As far as the first Game 7 in Madison Square Garden since 1994, it doesn’t affect anything we do. We’re going into a Game 7 with an opportunity to win a hockey game based on our game [Monday], and that’s all we’re concerned about.”
One thing the Rangers have spent the entire series concerned about is a lack of offensive firepower. But after three second-period goals Monday night ended a streak of over two full games without a goal, Tortorella is hopeful his team won’t run into the same issues tomorrow night.
“Our team has responded all year long, quite honestly,” he said. “A lot of our game, throughout this series, has been very good. We just have not found the way to make a big play at a key time. Last night, in the second period, we did.
“This group of guys, they’ve just gone about their business and that’s the way we’ll go about Game 7.”
tbontemps@nypost.com