Chris Kreider felt that Matthew Tkachuk was getting a little too talkative.
The Rangers veteran, at the end of an early third-period jaw-dropping session with the Panthers agitator in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals, threw Tkachuk’s mouthguard into the stands at Amerant Bank Arena Tuesday night.
Kreider and Tkachuk had to be separated by a linesman just 48 seconds into the third period, with the Rangers star presumably sending a fan home with a one-of-a-kind, if not spit-laden, prize.
It was the latest in ever-increasing tensions between the two sides as their Eastern Conference Finals series continues.
The first three games of the round were filled with big hits and plenty of scrambling as both teams looked to get under each other’s skin.
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Regardless of the outcome of Game 4, the series returns to the Garden for Game 5, home of the third most aggressive hockey fan base, according to a Casino.org study.
Rangers fans have been out in force in New York – as well as Carolina and Florida – this postseason.
They will surely continue to follow Kreider’s lead and be an unwelcoming force when Tkachuk and his Panthers teammates come back to town.
New York Post
