The New York Rangers and Florida Panthers’ playoff series is tied 2-2 after Sam Reinhart scored the overtime game-winner in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Tuesday.
To all our great benefit, tempers have flared increasingly as the series has progressed. And to great comedic effect. Heading into Game 4, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice shared a bitterly sarcastic response after Jacob Trouba was fined $5,000, but not suspended for elbowing one of his players.
Then, Matthew Tkachuk and Chris Kreider had a special moment during the actual game.
During a scrum along the boards, Kreider ripped Tkachuk’s mouthguard out of his mouth.
ESPN showed a shot of Chris Kreider ripping Matthew Tkachuk's mouthguard out of his mouth 😭 pic.twitter.com/p8PFwcX0u7
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) May 29, 2024
As the Rangers forward skated away, he then appeared to throw it into the Panthers crowd as a special souvenir.
When pressed by the media about what happened, Kreider’s memory suddenly got fuzzy.
“I don’t remember that,” he said per The Athletic’s Peter Baugh after the game.
According to NHL rule 53.5, you can’t do that:
53.5 Game Misconduct Penalty – A game misconduct penalty shall be imposed on a player who intentionally throws his stick or any part thereof or any other object or piece of equipment outside the playing area.
If the offense is committed in protest of an official’s decision, a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct (53.2(iv)) plus a game misconduct penalty shall be assessed to the offending player.
Kreider, though, was ultimately unsuccessful in his attempt, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, which could have been a disaster for the Rangers.
“Kreider did not throw Tkachuk’s mouthguard into the crowd,” Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts Podcast. “It went straight up and landed on the ground. He tried to do it but failed in his attempt. Good effort, no achievement.”
Tkachuk appeared amused by the situation when asked about it after practice on Wednesday.
“I told him that was the best play he made all game,” Tkachuk said sending the media into laughter. Kreider has no goals, no points, and is a minus-three in the series.
“It’s not the first time that’s happened actually,” Tkachuk added. “Normally they just give it back. I think last time they took it, they threw it right at me. This time was a little bit different. It is what it is. Game within the game, playoffs. Gotta love it.”
Tkachuk is more likely to experience mouthguard theft due to being, like former Capital Anthony Mantha, a chronic mouthguard chewer as he plays.
“It’s just a habit, I guess,” Tkachuk said.
Tkachuk’s mouthguard is usually not in his mouth meaning a facewash from another player could lead to mouthguard theft (or worse if Kreider is involved). But the superstar forward has not prepared himself for that worst-case scenario.
“I just have the one,” Tkachuk added when asked how many mouthguards he has. “Luckily it didn’t go over the stands. It just went into the air. I had to wash it off and just use it.”
As for the Panthers’ bench boss, Maurice, he just seemed amazed at the progress we’ve made as a society.
“Like three years ago, you couldn’t stand within six feet of people or you were going down,” Maurice said referring to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Now we have mouth guards flying everywhere.”
