Eye for an eye, right?
The notion that a Montreal Canadiens player might try to run New York Rangers star Henrik Lundqvist — the hottest goaltender in the game — during Game 2 (or games 3 through 7, for that matter) as retribution for Chris Kreider taking out Carey Price is nauseating.
If you want to body-check the snot out of Kreider for a perceived (but impossible to prove) intent to injure, go for it. But a blatant attempt to take out that anger physically on Lundqvist would be dirty and wrong and embarrassing and stupid, considering the league would be on watch for that very thing.
Yet before puck drop Tuesday night at Bell Centre and despite Montreal coach Michel Therrien’s claims to be focused solely on the game, some fans assumed an agitator would try to harm Lundqvist and deprive the Rangers of their best goalie as well.
Ironically, the lead candidate to exact revenge for the fallen Price was Brandon Prust, a teammate of King Henrik’s for two-and-a-half seasons before joining Montreal as a free agent in 2012:
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“I don’t think he’s a real dirty player,” Prust told reporters of Kreider after Game 1. Prust slashed and cross-checked Kreider in the third period of Game 1, taking two minor penalties and a misconduct. “But in this situation he went skates first right into his leg.
“We call that accidentally on purpose.”
Well, Prust “accidentally on purpose” tried to rattle Lundqvist during a TV timeout in Game 3 with the Rangers up 3-1 and 1:44 remaining in the second period.
RDS cameras caught Prust sticking out his knee as he skates by Lundqvist, who was heading to the bench for a drink:
Although its’ highly unlikely Prust could’ve hurt Lundqvist with the move, the Habs forward appears intent on getting under the Rangers’ skin.
Lundqvist has stopped 60 of the 63 shots the Canadiens have fired his way this series, and the Rangers stole both games at the Bell Centre.
Thus far, the Rangers have been successful in avoiding post-whistle shenanigans and Lundqvist (10-6, 1.93 GAA, .934 save percentage in these playoffs) looks the furthest thing from shook.
That doesn’t mean the Canadiens will stop trying, though.
(via Some Hockey Videos)