at times and brought him on as a sub, it is like he has become the

NEW YORK -- When the New York Rangers selected Chris Kreider with the 19th pick in the 2009 draft, stardom was expected.Entering his fourth NHL season, the left wing may be beginning to live up to the projections.Hes a power forward who is playing to his strengths, New York coach Alain Vigneault said after Kreider had a goal and an assist for the third straight game as the Rangers beat the San Jose Sharks 7-4 on Monday night.Hes tough to handle right now, whether on the initial rush or down low in the oppositions end. He makes it real challenging for the other team.Kreider, who signed a four-year, $18.5 million contract on July 22, has three goals and three assists in New Yorks first three games. According to the team, he is the first Ranger since Brian Leetch in 1992-93 to tally six points in New Yorks first three games. He also became the first New York forward to record six points in three games to start a season since Bernie Nicholls and Darren Turcotte in 1990-91.You want to play instinctually, Kreider said. You simplify your game; you get back to the stuff you know you do well. A lot of time that adversity helps you focus. From there, lock in on what you do well and do on a consistent basis.Kreider was one of seven Rangers to score, along with Marc Staal, Rick Nash, Kevin Hayes, rookie Jimmy Vesey, Mats Zuccarello and Michael Grabner. Twelve Rangers finished with at least one point, led by Zuccarello, who recorded a goal and two assists.New York has won two of its first three games this season.Im hoping were going to get better, Vigneault said. If youre going to get into the playoffs you have to be one of those teams that continues to improve. Some teams improve. Some teams dont improve and fade away. We need to be one of those teams that continues to improve.Tied 1-1 early in the second period, New York took the lead for good on Nashs first of the season 4:15 of the period. The sequence began when Rangers captain Ryan McDonaghs shot ricocheted off the end boards to Nash, who was in front of Martin Jones net.Jones finished with 22 saves.The lead grew to 3-1 6:06 later when Kreiders off-wing drive ticked off Jones stick and into the net.New York was 1 for 3 on the power play, and San Jose was 1 for 4.We are finding our way, Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said of his specialty units. I probably like our penalty kill better than our power play.Staals one-timer 12:06 into the game put the Rangers ahead 1-0.Following Staals goal, though, the Sharks outshot the Rangers 7-2 for the remainder of the period, culminated by Logan Coutures 5-on-3 power-play tap-in with 57.5 seconds left.San Jose, which lost for the first time in three games this season, cut the deficit to 3-2 on Brent Burns second of the season at 9:13 of the third.We had it early, then we didnt, said San Jose captain Joe Pavelski, who finished with a goal and three assists. We were chasing it a little bit too much.New York struck back quickly as Hayes and Vesey scored 21 seconds apart to push the lead to 5-2. The goals were the first of the season for both, and for Vesey, the first of his NHL career. The Rangers signed the Hobey Baker Award winner from Harvard to a two-year, free agent contract on Aug. 19.It was definitely just pure joy, Vesey said. I just couldnt be happier to get that one out of the way.Im really happy to get that one.The tack-on goals were significant as Burns scored his second of the game 1:20 after Vesey scored, followed by Pavelskis first of the season at 15:31.Despite watching his team score three third-period goals, DeBoer wasnt enthralled with the Sharks performance.We got what we deserved, DeBoer said. The team that competed the hardest won and thats the way it should be.Zuccarello and Grabner added empty net goals.New York goaltender Antti Raanta made 26 saves on 30 shots.Game notes New York played without D Dan Girardi and D Kevin Klein, along with rookie LW Pavel Buchnevich, due to injuries. Before the morning skate, the Rangers announced Girardi was day-to-day with a strained groin and Buchnevich had back spasms. Klein has missed the first three games of the season with back spasms. ... San Jose scratched D Dylan DeMelo, and C Ryan Carpenter and C Micheal Haley. . Saturday Night Live actor Michael Che was among the announced 18,006 in attendance.UP NEXT:SHARKS: visit Brooklyn on Tuesday night for a game against the New York Islanders.RANGERS: host Detroit in a nationally televised game Wednesday night. Fake NBA Jerseys . The No. 1-ranked Nadal tweaked his back warming up for the Australian Open final, which he lost almost four weeks ago in a major upset against Stanislas Wawrinka. His first stop after the layoff is the clay in Rio as he tests the back and tries to stay healthy for the French Open in three months. Fake Jerseys 2019 . PAUL, Minn. http://www.fakejersey.com/fake-soccer-jerseys/ . Bryant, who signed a five-year, $34 million contract as a free agent with Cleveland in March, reported symptoms on Monday morning, a team spokesman said. Fake Football Jerseys .com) - Christian Ponder will get another chance to prove himself for the Minnesota Vikings, with head coach Leslie Frazier announcing Wednesday that the struggling quarterback will start this weekends game against the Green Bay Packers. Fake NCAA Jerseys . The 43-year-old closer, in his 19th and final big league season, has said hed like to play the outfield. Yankees manager Joe Girardi says hes thinking about allowing Rivera to do it this weekend, when the Yankees finish their season with a three-game series at the Houston Astros.Liverpools dramatic victory at Selhurst Park, secured thanks to Christian Benteke’s last-minute penalty, keeps their season alive, says Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher. Jurgen Klopps side came from behind to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 on Sunday, a win that was even more impressive given the visitors had to play virtually the last half an hour with only 10 men after James Milners sending-off.However, after a third Premier League win in a row, the Reds have moved up to seventh in the table, six points behind Manchester City in the fourth and final Champions League spot with 10 games left to play this season. Simon Mignolet and Christian Benteke celebrate Liverpools last-gasp victory at Selhurst Park While Carragher says it will be hard for Liverpool to make up that deficit, he still thinks there is a chance for them to finish in the top four if their rivals continue to drop points between now and the end of the campaign.They are six points behind Man City, so I think it will be difficult to get top four, said Carragher. But what it does is just give you a little bit of hope as a Liverpool player and fan that the next eight or nine games are not just going to peter out.There is something there, a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel that something could happen if three or four teams drop points. Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool fully deserved their win after fighting back from a goal down Liverpools next two matches are aggainst Manchester United in the Europa League last-16, a clash that could ultimately define their season, according to the former Reds defender.ddddddddddddThe big one is coming, added Carragher. The next two games for Liverpool could make or break their season whether they go on.If they can beat Manchester United, that would give Liverpool a massive lift. They had one today going into those games, but going through could give them a massive lift between now and the end of the season. The next two games for Liverpool could make or break their season Jamie Carragher Carragher also had words of praise for Benteke after the striker - who Liverpool bought for £32.5m from Aston Villa last summer - came off the bench to win and then convert their controversial stoppage-time spot-kick following months of featuring as a substitute. I am pleased for him to get the winning goal, Carragher said. A big-money signing and it has not quite worked out for him, but he is someone I look at and think he has had, not so much a raw deal, but you sort of fear for him at times.He has played [Divock] Origi at times and brought him on as a sub, it is like he has become the fourth-choice striker having come in as the number one with [Daniel] Sturridge maybe out injured. Christian Benteke is congratulated by his Liverpool team-mates He has never gone to the press and complained every time he comes on and he just said in his interview then that you have to be ready when the manager asks for you.And Carragher believes scoring the winner against Palace could give the Belgium international a much-needed boost in confidence as we approach the business end of the campaign.Now you could expect a different reaction from a big-money signing this summer if he does not play as much as he likes, Carragher said. And I think he has conducted himself really well off the pitch - obviously he has to do a bit more on the pitch, but I think that will do him the world of good. Also See: Palace 1-2 Liverpool Palace 1-2 Liverpool recap Klopp: Liverpool deserved win Benteke: Ref made right decision ' ' '