YOU AGAIN?
New goalie Tokarski brings back memories of Rangers’ glory days
Time flies in the NHL, but occasionally something comes around to make players take a step back and reflect for just a moment.
That arrived to the Rangers this summer with the signing of goalie Dustin Tokarski, who played an integral role for the Canadiens in the teams’ epic 2014 Eastern Conference final. If a quick refresher is needed, that was when Chris Kreider slammed into Montreal goalie Carey Price in Game 1 and took him out of the series, drawing the public ire of Habs coach Michel Therrien.
For some reason, Therrien replaced Price in Game 2 with Tokarski, who had watched the first game from the stands as a healthy scratch while Peter Budaj backed up Price. But it turned out to be the right decision, as Tokarski was mostly terrific in the five games he played despite losing the series to the Rangers in Game 6.
“It was a good moment in my career,” Tokarski told The Post on Wednesday morning before he got his first preseason action in a Garden match against the Flyers. “It would’ve been better to be on the other end of it, the winning end. But at the same time, I was happy to be able to play in the playoffs at a high level and play in the NHL playoffs. It was a dream come true.”
Since showing up this summer, Tokarski had chatted with Kreider — but that series and Kreider’s crash had not come up.
“I don’t know, man, it’s five years ago. I honestly probably haven’t thought about it for five years,” Tokarski said. “It’s a hockey play. Very unfortunate for Carey, who is a friend of mine and a teammate. You don’t want to see that happen. I don’t know Kreider well enough — I guess the intentions weren’t there, but I don’t know him well enough.
“But that was five years ago, playoff hockey, and now I’m part of this group and trying to jell and get to know teammates and the organization.”
As for Kreider, he remains one of just four players left from that team that lost to the Kings in the Stanley Cup final, along with Henrik Lundqvist, Marc Staal and Mats Zuccarello. And Kreider didn’t even know Tokarski had joined the Blueshirts until he saw him at the first day of training camp.
“We won in six games, going to the Stanley Cup [final] and losing,” is how Kreider remembered the series. “Obviously the nonsense surrounding [Price’s] injury. But that’s not really something I reflect on.”
Kreider said when he thinks of Dustin Tokarski, his first thought actually goes back to the 2009 World Junior Championships, when he backstopped Team Canada to a gold medal. From there, Tokarski was taken in the fifth round (No. 122 overall) by the Lightning, and in 2013, he was traded to the Canadiens.
Tokarski did everything he could to keep the Habs in that series, including a Game 6 performance when he stopped 31-of-32 shots, the only one to beat him being a little wrister from Dom Moore in front that stood as the game-winner in a 1-0 Rangers victory.
“We probably played our best game — probably ever with that group — in Game 6,” Kreider said. “We gave them absolutely nothing. Just fundamentally sound. A nodoubter, if you will. I guess Tokarski played well that game because I remember we didn’t give them anything.”
Since then, Tokarski bounced around a little bit, getting traded to the Ducks and then the Flyers while playing just seven NHL games in the past three seasons. Now as a 29-year-old with the Rangers, Tokarski is essentially battling incumbent Alexandar Georgiev and fellow signee Marek Mazanec for the job to back up Lundqvist.
And his arrival brings back some entertaining memories, along with the reminder of just how fast time can go.
“I’m happy to be in an organization,” Tokarski said. “Chips are going to fall where they may. I’m working hard every day to do my job out there, get better every day. I’m going to compete in games and practices and show what I’m capable of.”
Just in case everyone forgot.