Rangers forward Chris Kreider a healthy scratch against Devils

News

Rangers forward Chris Kreider a healthy scratch against Devils

2024-12-24 05:34 Last Updated At：05:40

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider was a healthy scratch Monday against the New Jersey Devils for the first time this season.

The Rangers lost their fourth straight home game 3-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, then fell 5-0 to the Devils in Newark. New York has been in a freefall since winning at Vancouver on Nov. 19. The Rangers now have lost 13 of their last 17 games - all in regulation time - as Kreider and longtime linemate Mika Zibanejad have particularly struggled.

Forward Jonny Brodzinski was added to Monday's roster against New Jersey in Kreider’s place.

“It was just a lineup decision. We just need more,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said regarding the scratching of his team's most-senior player. “Any time you talk to a player about not being in the lineup, it's never an easy conversation. At the end of the day, we're not playing a brand that we need to play in order to be successful."

The 33-year-old Kreider has 11 goals and one assist in 30 games this season. He missed three games with an upper-body injury in late November.

Kreider scored a career-best 52 goals in 2021-22 and has been a steady performer for the Rangers since his debut during the 2012 playoffs. He scored 39 goals with 75 points last season. Kreider was a first-round draft pick by New York in 2009 (19th overall) and has played 845 career games plus 123 more in the playoffs.

Kreider is third all-time on the franchise list with 315 goals behind Rod Gilbert (406) and Jean Ratelle (336). Kreider also has 114 career power-play goals, second-most in team history.

He has two more seasons beyond the current one on his seven-year, $45.5 million contract. The deal is set to expire after the 2026-27 season.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Balkans snowstorm leaves tens of thousands of homes without power, causes traffic chaos

2024-12-24 18:42 Last Updated At：18:50

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Tens of thousands of homes in Bosnia were without electricity on Tuesday after more heavy snow and winds that also brought traffic chaos in neighboring Croatia and Serbia.

In Slovenia, the resumption of a search for an injured Hungarian hiker missing in the Alps north of the capital Ljubljana since Sunday was temporarily suspended because of strong winds.

Rescuers on Monday reached his female companion and transferred her to safety, but they were unable to locate the man and couldn't use a helicopter because of strong winds.

Throughout the Balkans authorities issued travel warnings as snow drifts closed some major routes, including sections of motorways in Croatia.

Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia banned the movement of heavy vehicles and imposed limited traffic levels on affected roads.

Parts of Bosnia faced a total halt of railway traffic because of the snow.

Bosnia's state power company described the situation as “extremely hard” in some areas of the country. The weight of heavy, moist snow brought down distribution lines which are hard to access due to snow drifts, the company said in a statement.

Regional N1 television reported dozens of vehicles were stuck in the snow for 10 hours in western Bosnia overnight before they could continue. Authorities in the nearby town of Drvar declared an emergency while struggling to clear snow.

The town's municipal council president Jasna Pecanac told the Drvar radio that the town has been cut off. “Many of our residents are stuck in the snow,” she said. “The situation is very hard as the snow continues to fall.”