The celebration was muted in light of his team's loss to the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night, but New York Rangers rookie forward Chris Kreider made NHL history in the second game of his team's Eastern Conference Final series against the New Jersey Devils.
When Kreider deflected an Anton Stralman shot past Martin Brodeur 12:19 into the second period to give New York a 2-1 lead, the native of Boxford, Mass., tied an NHL record for most Stanley Cup Playoff goals by a player who has not made his regular-season debut. He shares the record with Eddie Mazur, who scored four goals across three postseasons - 1951, '52 and '52 - for the Montreal Canadiens.
Kreider - who signed with the Rangers just days after winning his second NCAA title at Boston College - also broke the record for most goals in a single postseason for a player who hadn't played in a regular season game. That distinction was previously shared by Ray Cote of the 1983 Edmonton Oilers and George McPhee of the 1983 Rangers.
Kreider has been the story of the playoffs for the Rangers, ever since a suspension to Carl Hagelin opened up the opportunity for him to play in the third game of New York's first-round series against Ottawa. He shares New York's team lead in game-winning goals with defenseman Dan Girardi and center Brian Boyle, the latter a former BC star in his own right.
Of course, the Rangers hardly have a monopoly on major contributors from BC.
Devils defenseman Peter Harrold returned to the lineup on Wednesday night, seeing game action for the first time since May 1, when he had an assist in a win over the Philadelphia Flyers. He came out of the lineup the following game, but was called back into action when rookie Adam Larsson was deemed a healthy scratch.
"It was a tough decision," Devils coach Pete DeBoer said, "because Larsson was playing exceptional. He was outstanding for a 19-year-old, and the minutes he gave us. And we wouldn't be here without him, the big goal he scored in the Philly series."
In the wake of New Jersey's 3-0 loss to the Rangers on Monday in the first game of the series, DeBoer decided the Devils needed a slightly different look. That's where Harrold came in.
"We knew he could play," DeBoer said of Harrold. "He brings a little different dimension than Larsson, has a little more poise with the puck, a little more dash and flash to his game....That's playoff hockey, different contributions from different guys, and I'm sure we'll see Larsson again soon."
For Harrold's former BC classmate, Devils forward Stephen Gionta, seeing four Eagle alumni on the ice in the Eastern Conference final was a point of pride.
"I think it's a testament to BC," said Gionta, who has two goals and two assists in 14 playoff games. "What Coach [Jerry] York and the university does there is unbelievable."
Gionta and Harrold were teammates with Boyle for three years at BC, advancing to two NCAA Frozen Fours, losing to Wisconsin in the 2006 national championship game. However, while Gionta might take pride in sharing the ice with his former teammate, there are obvious limits.
"No friends out there until after the series," Gionta said.
