Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Will winning trump revenge tonight?

Brian Boyle Carey Price

New York Rangers left wing Chris Kreider (20) crashes into Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price, right, during the second period in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs against in Montreal on Saturday, May 17, 2014. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Adrian Wyld)

AP

Two controversial moments from the 2014 postseason will be revisited on Saturday, but it remains to be seen if anyone will be “targeted” for revenge. Even this early into 2014-15, going for the victory might just be too important to risk it.

For one thing, New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider doesn’t expect any “carryover” from the crease-crashing moment that sidelined Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price last postseason, as New York Newsday’s Steve Zipay reports.

Here’s the video replay of a moment that Habs head coach Michel Therrien labeled “reckless.”

Montreal backs up Kreider’s feelings about letting the collision go, at least to an extent, as this post discusses.

Tonight also represents an opportunity for St. Louis Blues captain David Backes to get back at Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook for a charging hit that prompted a three-game postseason suspension:

Backes seemed to state that the Blues won’t go out of their way to get revenge on Seabrook ... but they won’t pass up opportunities to leave the Blackhawks bruised, as the Chicago Sun-Times’ Mark Lazerus reports.

While James Neal and Patric Hornqvist facing their former teams in tonight’s Pittsburgh Penguins - Nashville Predators game doesn’t bring to mind the same potential for carnage, revenge could very well be in the air in that case, too.

An old adage is that “living well is the best revenge.” If you believe the players involved, they’ll try to gain vengeance on the scoreboard.

Follow James O’Brien @cyclelikesedins