Former Rangers defenseman tells Hurricanes perspective of Kreider hat trick in Game 6

With just one period left to play in a pivotal Game 6 in PNC Arena during this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, the New York Rangers trailed the rival Carolina Hurricanes 3-1, just 20 minutes away from having to play a Game 7 in Madison Square Garden. A loss would’ve made the Hurricanes just the 10th team in NHL history to force Game 7 after trailing a postseason series 3-0.

Instead, Chris Kreider added another layer to his already illustrious Blueshirts career, scoring a natural hat trick in the third period that propelled the Rangers to a 5-3 win , sending New York to the conference final and further cementing his legacy in Rangers lore.

Former Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo witnessed the heroic comeback from the Hurricanes bench, appearing in all six games of the Round 2 series as he replaced an injured Brett Pesce.

“My opinion, going into the third, we seemed real confident. I was real confident,” said DeAngelo on Morning Cuppa Hockey last Wednesday. “It wasn’t like our sticks were tight. I thought we were playing really good.”

The Hurricanes had, in fact, thoroughly dominated up until that point, taking a 3-1 lead into the third period after Sebastian Aho slipped behind the Rangers and converted on the breakaway goal. With just 20 minutes left to play, the Hurricanes held a 20-14 advantage in shots on goals and were doubling New York eight-to-four in high-danger chances.

They’d even get off to a hot start in the third with Jack Drury and Jake Guentzel both firing shots off the post.

“We’re dominating the first four and a half minutes of that period,” DeAngelo explained. “It was smooth sailing and we were buzzing pretty good too. Two grade-A chances to score. I mean you get one of those, you’re going to Game 7 almost 100 percent of the time.”

Puck luck was not on their side in the third period, but it was on Kreider’s side, who jammed in his first goal of the game to cut the deficit to one with 13:17 to play.

“The Rangers get kind of weird ricochet. It hits off the side of the pad, they get one. No big deal,” DeAngelo verbalized. “Then they get a power play. And when the Rangers go on the power play, I guess you could sense things start to turn a bit.”

Jordan Staal’s cross-checking penalty on Mika Zibanejad proved to be a costly one. Roughly a minute into the Blueshirts’ man advantage, Kreider tipped in a shot from Artemi Panarin, tying the game at 3 with just over eight minutes left.

“There was a lot of blue in the crowd,” said DeAngelo, remembering how the fans in Raleigh, North Carolina roared to life after the visiting team equalized the score. “From my opinion, I felt a little bit of deflation go through the bench there. And then obviously they get the next one, and then you’re just chasing at that point.”

Kreider was netfront once more for his third of the night, driving a feed from Ryan Lindgren right by goaltender Fredrick Andersen. It would prove to be the game-winner, as Barclay Goodrow capped off the series with an empty netter in the final minute, securing a 5-3 victory.

“I mean, listen, having a chance to play a Game 7 in MSG after being down 3-0, it would’ve been great for hockey, great for us players, great for the sport,” said DeAngelo. “But not for the Rangers — they’re happy the way it ended there.”

To Carolina’s credit, even when they trailed the series 3-0, it was largely competitive. The Rangers won Game 1 by a 4-3 margin before taking Games 2 and 3 in hard-fought overtime affairs. The Hurricanes had put New York on their heels for the remainder of the series, but a heroic effort from Kreider kept the Blueshirts from experiencing a nerve-wracking Game 7.

“Kreids and the Rangers, they gave us a tough series,” the former Blueshirts defenseman reflected. “I thought there were games we could’ve won even before then. You had the overtime games, we just couldn’t find a way to get that one goal we needed — They did. That’s the way it goes in a playoff series.”

For DeAngelo, it’s actually the second time he’s fallen in postseason play to his former team. Suiting up for the Hurricanes during the 2022 postseason, he appeared in all seven games of a Round 2 defeat that saw the Rangers overcome a 3-2 deficit and clinch the series in PNC Arena.

With his contract expired this offseason, DeAngelo remains unsigned, looking for a landing spot in the NHL as rumors swirl about him potentially signing in the KHL.

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DeAngelo’s complicated relationship with fans on full display during playoffs

A trademark of Rangers fandom is the passion and energy that fills the iconic Madison Square Garden, particularly during the postseason. To no surprise, it was on full display once again this postseason.

DeAngelo’s tumultuous career in New York, ending with a release by waivers in 2020-21 after an altercation with goaltender Alexander Georgiev, has made him an enemy of Rangers fans and an easy target for their jeers.

“I remember telling the guys on the plane, I wonder if these guys know I haven’t played the last 50 games of the regular season,” joked DeAngelo, who played just 31 games this season as a seventh defenseman on a loaded Hurricanes team. “Maybe they should boo ‘Guentz,’ who scores against them every time he goes to New York, or Aho, or Slavin, somebody different, but I’ll take it.”

DeAngelo was booed every time he touched the puck during Games 1, 2, and 5 in MSG with many fans still disliking him after his antics during his four-year tenure in New York.

“To me, It’s just part of the game, part of the playoffs,” said DeAngelo, downplaying the reaction. “I mean, in the regular season, they actually did [boo] a little bit too. I was a little surprised about that, I thought it was more of just a playoff thing, but to me, it’s just part of it. They care about their team more than the guy that left.”

The 28-year-old went on to say that even fans who still like him would probably join in because of the atmosphere, before adding, “I’m sure there’s a good amount of Rangers fans that aren’t fans of mine at all and want to boo, too”.

Despite some negative receptions in MSG following his departure, DeAngelo still has glowing reviews about playing in New York.

“I love playing in New York, loved it. The fans are great. Even when I was gone, I never had a bad word to say about the Rangers fans,” DeAngelo stated. “I would go back in a second to play for a New York sports team.”

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