New York Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick defended his decision to spark a benches-clearing brawl after Sunday’s 2-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings.
Quick took exception to Mason Appleton shooting the puck after the whistle at an empty net and confronted the Red Wings centre, sparking a melee that involved multiple members of each team who weren’t originally on the ice at the end of the game.
“The horn goes, a couple seconds [pass], [Appleton] shoots it in the net. I don’t know why they were surprised,” Quick told reporters after the game.
“It’s usually the response when something like that happens. So, boys jumped in...did the right thing.”
Forward Lucas Raymond scored the go-ahead goal that would hold up as the winner for Detroit with just under four minutes to go, breaking a 1-1 tie. Quick was solid in the loss, stopping 40 of 42 shots.
When asked if his decision to confront Appleton stemmed from any frustration of how the game went, Quick was clear one had nothing to do with the other.
“No, it’s a complete separate issue from the 60 minutes that took place. And then the couple seconds and then he shoots it, right? That’s just that.”
Rangers captain J.T. Miller said he expected more from his team and credited Quick for keeping them in it despite being outshot 42-19.
“Today wasn’t good enough,” Miller said via NHL.com. “They outplayed us. If wasn’t for ‘Quickie’ that game could have been wide open.”
The loss snapped the Rangers’ three-game win streak and leaves them with a 10-8-2 record for 22 points in 20 games, good for fifth in the Metropolitan Division.
