The Dallas Stars are in Boston, and they will take on the Bruins at TD Garden on Tuesday night. The last two times that has happened, the two teams have combined for 233 penalty minutes.
The Stars’ last two trips to Boston — in 2008 and 2011 — produced a pair of memorable nights. Each game was fight-filled, and each contest featured the Bruins putting a beatdown on Dallas both in the fights and on the scoreboard.
For those who love to see the gloves drop and might be expecting Round 3 on Tuesday night in Boston, however, might be a little upset with what they get. As you might imagine, both clubs have had some roster turnover in the past five years. That’s especially true for the Stars, who are in the midst of a rebuild. They’re a young team looking to develop a new identity.
On the Dallas side, there are no remaining pugilists or antagonists left from those two games. Steve Ott, who earned himself 33 penalty minutes in those two games, is now the captain in Buffalo. Steve Avery is out of hockey. Krys Barch, one of Shawn Thornton‘s favorite dance partners, is now in Florida. Even players like Adam Burish (San Jose) and Brian Sutherby (Colorado) have moved on.
While there may not be any line brawls like we’ve seen in the past, it would be unwise to rule out fisticuffs in this one. According to HockeyFights.com, the Bruins and Stars rank in the top 11 in fights so far this season, and both teams have some boys who can scrap. The Bruins also have a way of getting a little extra physical when they need to turn things around, and after a real ugly loss to the Islanders on Saturday, the B’s need a jolt in the worst way. Perhaps things get a little physical in the process.
You can see the craziness of the last two times the Stars visited Boston in the videos below.
Nov. 1, 2008
Feb. 3, 2011
