There are many connections between the New York Rangers and the Carolina Hurricanes as both teams compete in the second round for a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Following the events of Game 1 and Game 2, it seems that trouble may be brewing between the two teams.
While the head coach of the Rangers previously led the Carolina team to a Stanley Cup victory in 2006, and Vincent Trocheck has connections to both organizations, much of the tension in this series has been caused by the Hurricanes’ Tony DeAngelo during the first two games.
In Game 2, ESPN cameras captured former Rangers defenseman DeAngelo telling current Rangers player “I’ll fight you anytime.” K’Andre Miller Miller’s response was inaudible, but DeAngelo’s following message was clear, as he insulted Miller before the audio was cut off.
Tony DeAngelo Has Dropped the Biggest Hit of the Series
In Game 1, DeAngelo caused a stir when
he hit Rangers rookie Will Cuylle high on his shoulder and head This led to a two-minute roughing penalty on DeAngelo, which the Rangers used to score a goal less than 10 seconds after he entered the penalty box..
In an interview published on Tuesday, May 7, after the Game 1 loss, DeAngelo discussed the series against the Rangers and his reaction to being booed by the MSG crowd.
Took Tony DeAngelo’s Antics Baton in Game 2
Unexpectedly, Hurricanes’ Andrei Svechnikov’s comment was also included in the same story as DeAngelo’s answers. “We hate each other,” Svechnikov is quoted telling reporters after Game 1 (“with a grin,” reporters note). “It’s a good part of playing against those guys.”
This becomes even more interesting given
Svechnikov’s aggressive actions in the first period of Game 2
when he collided with Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin causing him to fall to the ice. This led to a tripping minor penalty for Svechnikov and sparked multiple altercations that lasted the remainder of the game and into overtime. Is Rangers vs. Hurricanes Matchup About to Turn Ugly?
Svechnikov’s hit on Shesterkin occurred in the first period of Game 2.
After that play, the Rangers' own instigator
to provoke some retaliation
by skating aggressively toward Carolina goalie Freddy Andersen and spraying him with ice. Matt Rempe decided Later in the game, already in the second period, Jake Guentzel
of the Hurricanes had a brief altercation with Rangers' in which both landed a punch on each other's face. Guentzel received a penalty for the retaliatory punch on Fox, while the Rangers defenseman escaped any punishment. Adam Fox Rangers' Trocheck found it amusing following the penalty called on Guentzel as Fox was skating away from the skirmish.
Jacob Trouba
went for a Superman-like hit on Hurricanes'
Rangers’ Martin Necas but failed to make solid contact. The footage doesn't clearly show if Necas managed to evade Trouba or if he simply slipped, but the outcome and Trouba's failure to properly hit Necas was probably for the best. Ultimately, Trocheck had the last laugh by scoring the final goal of the game after playing a team-high 35:21 minutes and netting the 4-3 goal in the second overtime. "Regarding the goal, I couldn't explain what happened,"
Trocheck told reporters after the Game 2 victory
. "It went in. I don't know. I'll watch it and inform you tomorrow." Tensions are quickly rising in the second-round series between the Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Rangers.. “It went in. I don’t know. I’ll watch it and let you know tomorrow.”
