Game 4 of the first-round series between the Bruins and the Hurricanes was not Tony DeAngelo’s finest outing.
Purely from a performance standpoint, DeAngelo actually was pretty good Sunday afternoon at TD Garden. The Carolina defenseman assisted on his team’s second goal of the game and also logged two shots on net. But that solid offensive showing was completely overshadowed by extracurriculars.
DeAngelo first became a sideshow when he engaged in a war of words with Brad Marchand. Later on, the 26-year-old committed a bone-headed cross-checking penalty and had a tantrum of sorts before he took a seat in the box. And in his final act of the afternoon, DeAngelo threw his stick in Marchand’s direction as the Bruins were in the process of sealing a series-tying victory.
Antics such as those could seriously hamper the Hurricanes moving forward in this best-of-seven set, and there’s reason to believe we’ll see more of them from DeAngelo this week. Carolina captain Jordan Staal, however, isn’t at all worried about the hot-headed blueliner.
“I love Tony’s game,” Staal told reporters Sunday, per The Athletic. “He’s obviously a competitive guy who wants to win and he’ll do whatever it takes. He’s been good for us all year long and will continue to do that.”
DeAngelo’s next opportunity for redemption will be Tuesday night at PNC Arena, where the B’s and the ‘Canes will meet for Game 5. NESN’s full coverage of the pivotal tilt will begin at 6 p.m. ET.
