American hazing or harmless joke? Vice-captain of the Rangers mocked Kravtsov

Dmitry Erykalov Kreider knocked out the Russian’s stick when he thanked the fans. There is often nothing in common between training and games. Friendly games and official ones also sometimes differ from each other in the most radical way. It’s not uncommon for preseason kings to dissolve when the regular season begins. Not to mention the fact that the playoffs are, as is commonly believed, a completely different sport. So after all, Vitaly Kravtsov? The 22-year-old has already had a solid camp in his short career, which hasn’t helped him establish himself at the Rangers’ base. Now Kravtsov is making his fourth attempt to take the NHL by storm. Back in New York, he said a lot of the right words about rethinking what he had done and growing up. And in the club itself, they noted the responsibility with which Vitaly relates to training. However, as we have already found out, training is not a game. So the first test match after returning Kravtsov failed. On the court, the striker spent 15:05 – the fifth time among the forwards, made three shots on target, one block shot, two losses and one interception. He also played in the majority team for more than two minutes. And in another episode, he was hit by a force, as a result of which he simultaneously lost his helmet and skate blade. Kravtsov lost his helmet twice in a match, sometimes made strange decisions on the ice and was unconvincing in the majority. The fact that Vitaliy is not at ease was noted by many Rangers fans. Comparing the two forwards selected in the first round, they favored 19-year-old Canadian Brennan Othmann. And fans from New York after the match with the Islanders call Kravtsov a contender for the exchange. Allegedly, the Russian could become part of the deal to transfer Patrick Kane. If the Chicago superstar moves to Manhattan, you can be one hundred percent sure that we will see the Kane-Panarin connection again. In the meantime, Artemy is considered as a partner for … Kravtsov. True, Khlebushek did not take part in the first control match. As well as the center of the second link Trochek, which should connect the two Russian attackers, did not play either. In their absence, Kravtsov got Vesi and Chitil as partners, with whom he did not find “chemistry.” It is on the return of Panarin that Kravtsov’s main hope is. But we are talking directly about hockey. But whether the team will accept Vitaly is a much more difficult question. Initially, it was not clear how New York would perceive the forward’s constant throwing across the ocean. And especially the fact that he refused to play in the AHL and asked for a trade. The incident after the match with the Islanders makes us wary. The Rangers won 4-1, everyone is happy and satisfied, the players raise their clubs to thank the fans. Everything would be fine, but at one moment vice-captain Chris Kreider, passing by Kravtsov, beats the stick to the Russian. He turns around and on Vitaly’s face it is read that he is at least at a loss. Perhaps the experienced American was joking, but his young teammate clearly did not understand this. Kreider is an alternate captain, Jacob Trouba’s deputy. For Chris, the upcoming season will be the tenth in New York, he is a real old-timer of the team. But you can’t exactly call him a Russophobe. In 2021, when a conflict broke out between Alexander Georgiev and Tony Diangelo in the under-tribune room, Kreider sided with the Russian goalkeeper and even used physical force on the defender, with whom the Rangers subsequently parted ways. It is quite possible that Kravtsov is not accepted by the old men of the team. And here Panarin needs to prove himself, standing up for his compatriot. But it is much more likely that Vitaly himself does not fully understand local customs and jokes. Watch how black Rangers players Miller and Reeves energize each other before hitting the ice. It is obvious that this picture confuses Kravtsov standing next to him. He needs not only to train hard, but also quickly become his own in the team. Otherwise, another return to Russia will not be far off.