WASHINGTON — This was when Chris Kreider was a pup in this league and surrounded by veteran teammates such as Martin St. Louis.
“I remember how guys would follow Marty around the ice and try to do the things he would do,” Kreider told The Post before scoring a goal in the Blueshirts’ 5-3 defeat to the Capitals on Tuesday. “I didn’t necessarily follow him around because I knew I would never be able to do some of things he did every shift, but just that approach always stuck with me.
“Now it’s kind of my turn if I can be of any value. It’s kind of a responsibility, right?”
Kreider has prime value as a power-play net-front mentor.
He’s been spending the final minutes of practices and game-day skates monitoring Kaapo Kakko, who takes that spot on the second power-play unit, on the subtleties of the position. Will Cuylle slides in at times.
“We’re talking about one of the best in the game to be a net-front presence, to get his stick on pucks for tips and rebounds, screens, when to stay off the goalie when to get on the goalie,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “Chris is really good.
“He has sat down at times off the ice and at times on the ice, working with players. [The idea] came from both of us—him and us.”
Kreider’s 53 power-play goals since the start of 2021-22 — he got one off his skate in this one at the right doorstep — ranks third in the NHL behind Leon Draisaitl’s 77 PPG’s and Sam Reinhart’s 59.
Kakko has a career total of six power-play goals.
“I think guys started to gravitate to that area of the ice. There was a conversation, I looked up and all of a sudden there were a couple of guys that wanted to get reps,” Kreider said. “So let them tag in and if there are a couple of things I see, you don’t want to be overwhelming, but maybe suggest some little tweaks that give you a better chance of having success in different positions.
“These guys are very receptive. You can’t lead a guy to water but if you see younger guys working on things that you have worked on a bit and they are open, that’s what you do.”
Matt Rempe returned to the lineup after a two-game weekend stint with the Wolf Pack and dropped the gloves with former Rangers first-rounder Dylan McIlrath at 2:37 of the first period, five seconds after he stepped onto the ice.
The Blueshirts’ No. 10-overall selection in the 2010 draft rocked Rempe with a series of blows.
The two combatants had fought in the AHL in November of 2022.
Jonny Brodzinski was bumped into street clothes by Rempe’s return to duty while Victor Mancini replaced Zac Jones on the back end after the rookie sat out his first game on Saturday.
Alex Ovechkin scored his third and fourth goals of the season in the first period, boosting his career total to 857, 37 shy of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL 894.
The Blueshirts return to the Garden for a Friday match against Ottawa ahead of a Sunday afternoon visit from the Islanders.
