The Boston Bruins looked like a seemingly different team in Game 2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs compared to their Game 1 loss.
Granted, the Game 2 edition of the black and gold was one much closer to the brand of hockey B’s fans have come to know this season, as Boston put up 107 points during the regular season.
But the Bruins undoubtedly looked flat in their playoff opener on Thursday against the Leafs. They needed to answer in a big way on Saturday before the series shifted to Toronto, and Boston got its response, punishing the Leafs in a 4-1 win.
It all started Saturday night with a spot-on pre-game message from head coach Bruce Cassidy.
After pinpointing puck management as the key issue in Game 1, Cassidy emphasized puck control and physicality as the two biggest points heading into the Game 2 — and he also dished out a perfect pre-game motto for the team.
The Bruins did let Mitch Marner, John Tavares and Auston Matthews roam a bit too freely in Game 1, and those issues were locked down in Saturday’s win, so it appears Cassidy got through to his players.
And with the series tied 1-1, we imagine there will be big speeches coming from Cassidy at Scotiabank Arena.
