Rangers' Kreider pays no mind to Canadiens' remarks

MONTREAL -- New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider has one regret about the play that knocked Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price out of the Eastern Conference Final.

"I wish I would've put it in the net," Kreider said. "Obviously I was trying to score a goal. I put it wide. It was a bang-bang play."

Kreider instead lost his footing and crashed feet-first into Price at 3:15 of the second period in Game 1 on Saturday. Price was slow to get up and was in obvious pain, but after consulting with the Canadiens trainer he stayed in the game.

He gave up two more goals late in the second period, including one to Kreider, and did not play the third period as the Rangers scored three more times en route to a 7-2 victory.

After Montreal's morning skate Monday in Brossard, Quebec, Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said Price would not play again in the series, and he called the play by Kreider "reckless."

Kreider said he doesn't much care for anything Therrien says about him when he spoke at Bell Centre after the Rangers' morning skate in advance of Game 2 (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, RDS).

The Rangers lead the best-of-7 series 1-0.

"I don't give it much mind," Kreider said. "I'm worried about what my coach thinks and what the guys on our team think."

The Canadiens have pointed out that Kreider has a history of barreling into goalies.

He injured Ottawa Senators goalie Craig Anderson last season after he got tripped by Marc Methot and crashed into Anderson.

Montreal forward Brandon Prust specifically pointed out the play in Game 6 of the second-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, when Kreider had a goal taken away for a goalie interference penalty on Marc-Andre Fleury.

That was Kreider's only goalie interference penalty of the season.

Kreider shot down the notion he is reckless and has a history of running goalies.

"I wouldn't use those two words to describe my game," he said. "When you try to get to the net, obviously they're going to try to keep you from getting to the net so there's going to be conflict. There's going to be physical altercation."

Rangers coach Alain Vigneault called the incident with Kreider and Price "a hockey play," and said Kreider is "a good player, an honest player like the rest of our team. We play a straight-forward, whistle-to-whistle game, and that's not going to change [Monday night]."

What could change is how the Canadiens respond to Kreider. He may become a target for them, but Kreider said he's not worried about that.

"I'm going to play my game, play hard, and try to get to the net," Kreider said. "I'm here to play my game and play hard, and I think I'm a clean player. I don't go out with the intent to hurt anyone ever, so I'm going to continue to try and get to the net and score goals."

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