Murph’s Take: Bruins Can’t Shut Tony DeAngelo, Canes Up In Game 5

The Boston Bruins allowed Tony DeAngelo to back up his big mouth and the Carolina Hurricanes to once again embarrass them at PNC Arena in a 5-1 loss in Game 5 that now leaves the Bruins in a do-or-die Game 6 at TD Garden on Thursday.

Despite his ignorant clown show off the ice, no one can argue that with the exception of Hurricanes forward Jordan Staal (1g, 2a) and his defensive prowess, Tony DeAngelo has been the MVP of the series with a goal and five assists. Not only did he score the eventual game-winning goal on the powerplay 12:15 into the first period. The new Public Enemy No. 1 for Bruins fans, that actually challenged two teenage Boston Bruins faithful to a fight following Game 4, finished Game 5 with a goal and two assists. Tony DeAngelo now has a goal and seven assists in five games this series.

Following Game 5, Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour was asked if he had to reel DeAngelo in since Game 4 when the controversial rearguard essentially lost his marbles and completely lacked discipline?

“We’ve had lots of conversations and I’ll just leave it at that.”

The same reporter then replied:

“So you told him to reel it in?”

“I told him to let it rip and just go bardown,” said the Hurricanes bench boss.

Well Tony DeAngelo did just that for his first goal of the postseason and is now tied for first in assists with seven helpers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and fourth in points with eight. Following the game, the embattled Carolina Hurricanes defenseman didn’t pass up a chance to take a shot at the media covering the Boston Bruins and rub salt in the collective wound of Bruins fans.

“Yeah, I mean you guys are trying to stir that up a little more than me, I’m not too worried about it,” the snarky and outspoken rearguard said. “I think the Boston media might be a little angry tonight, but that’s okay.”

Honestly, Tony I’m more angry at the fact that P.K. Subban, called you, a known and unapologetic racist, ‘a great guy’ and ‘must see tv’! The tone deafness of that description of you is why this country is where it is, but I digress.

While that is clearly up for debate, DeAngelo still torched the Boston Bruins after doing his best to hand them Game 4 on a platter. The Bruins did a great job of capitalizing on a Hurricanes team that was seemingly stuck in quicksand in Game 4 and the Canes did the same in Game 5. The Perfection Line of Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-David Pastrnak did all they could – when they weren’t split up due to matchups – to help their team take a 3-2 series lead, but the bottom nine just didn’t show up.

“At the end of the day, you need the guys behind them following. That’s what we’re looking at, the middle of the order or whatever you want to call it,” Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said. “They can bring more offensively, and if not they’ve got to be tight defensively and get the job done at the other end.

Some nights if it’s your top guys and special teams and goaltending — that was the story in Boston. As long as you’re pulling on the rope and contributing in some shape or form, we’re good with that. Obviously the guys who are used to scoring, they want to contribute in that manner, but help us win then, if the puck isn’t following you. This isn’t a middle of the year, ‘Oh, we’ll get through it.’ This is a short series, and maybe the next one will be kinder to you in those regards. That’s the ask right now of some of the guys in the middle of our lineup.”

The Hurricanes have now beat the Boston Bruins in all three games on home ice and outscored the Bruins 15-4 in front of their rabid fans. The Bruins will have their fans behind them in Game 6 but if they win that and force a Game 7, they will need everyone on board if they want to shut Tony DeAngelo and the PNC crowd up.