BOSTON — Saturday’s Bruins-Montreal Canadiens matchup featured all the chippiness typically found in games between the two Original Six rivals. It wasn’t until the game’s final minute, however, that animosity truly took over.
After Zac Rinaldo laid a hard hit on Canadiens center Torrey Mitchell with less than 30 seconds to play, Mitchell responded by skating up behind the Bruins winger, jabbing him with the butt of his stick and slew-footing him.
Mitchell was assessed a match penalty for his actions, resulting in automatic ejection from the game as well as an indefinite suspension pending review by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety.
Max Talbot came to Rinaldo’s aid after the incident, dropping his gloves and accosting Mitchell as a scrum formed in the Boston zone.
“I just jumped in,” Talbot said after the game, which the Canadiens won 4-2 at TD Garden. “I saw (the hit) a little bit, and I saw (Mitchell) go after him, so I just jumped in.”
Defenseman Torey Krug was pleased to see Talbot, who was a healthy scratch for Boston’s season opener Thursday, sticking up for his teammate.
“We have a good group in here,” Krug said. “It’s just a great group of guys, and we have each other’s backs. So, if something happens out there, it happens to all of us. It’s definitely a group that we trust each other and take care of each other. Great job by (Talbot) there.”
Video via @CrzyCanucklehed
