GREENBURGH — It’s been three years, but Chris Kreider remains Public Enemy No. 1 in Montreal. His slide that upended goaltender Carey Price in Game 1 of the 2014 Eastern Conference Final, which knocked Price out of the series with a lower-body injury, has not been forgotten.
The Rangers left wing, who was slashed by Alexei Emelin during the breakaway in the second period, called the collision accidental. Canadiens fans ripped him for a cheap shot and Brandon Prust scoffed: “accidentally on purpose.” Habs coach Michel Therrien said Kreider didn’t “make much effort to avoid the contract.”
On Monday, Kreider, said the incident was “a long time ago” and was just focused on the upcoming first-round series, which starts Wednesday at Bell Centre.