SUNRISE, Fla. — The score and the play got ugly in the third period of Game 2. Florida beat the Bruins 6-1 Wednesday night to even the series at 1-1.
But Wednesday’s game at Amerant Bank Arena will be remembered for 148 penalty minutes, including 13 misconducts and one notable fight.
“This is what playoffs are about. This is where rivalries are built,” Brad Marchand said. “With last year, it kind of started there. They play a physical game. It creates a lot of emotion and adrenaline, a lot of really good battles. You can see both teams want to win and they’re leaving it all out there.”
Everybody wearing a letter on their jersey for the Bruins finished the night early as Marchand, the Bruins captain and alternate captains Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak each got misconducts.
Pastrnak also got a major penalty for fighting Panthers pest Matthew Tkachuk.
“What I’m really proud of is Pasta. There are so many guys out there pushing after the whistles when the linesmen is going to be there,” he said. “They just went out there and fought. That’s what you like. You like your hockey players to be competitors.”
For Boston, it started with Pat Maroon. The Bruins traded for the veteran forward for his playoff experience and to be a presence when things got nasty in the playoffs. Fulfilling the second half of that role got Maroon an early exit in Game 2.
With the Bruins unlikely to dig out of a three-goal hole, Maroon went after Nick Cousins, who dethroned Marchand as the NHL’s most hated player in an Athletic poll. Both players were given misconducts, that for all practical purposes ended their nights as the game was unlikely to go to overtime. Florida led 3-1 after the second and kept building their edge after that.
Game 2 PenaltiesGame 2 Penalties
“I don’t think it will spill over to the next game. These are two teams that are rivals,” Montgomery said. “Playing each other last year and playing each other this year, it’s going to be a series.”
Marchand thought the makeup of the Bruins roster makes them more able to stand their ground.
“We’re built a little different this year. I think we’re in a better position to push back physically,” he said. “We’re a little bigger throughout the lineup.”
Marchand didn’t expect things to cool off as the series continues.
“It’s going to be a physical series,” Marchand said. “We know that. It’s exciting and creates rivalries.”
