The Boston Bruins’ second-round opponent isn’t quite as familiar as the team’s first-round opponent, but don’t let that fool you: Things still could get nasty.
The Bruins will face the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Eastern Conference semifinals after dispatching the Toronto Maple Leafs in a hard-fought, seven-game battle. This marks the first time the Bruins (an Original Six franchise) will face the Blue Jackets (a 2000 expansion team) in the postseason, as Columbus wasn’t even in the same conference until the 2013-14 campaign.
But this is the Stanley Cup playoffs, where bad blood can develop rather quickly over the course of a best-of-seven series. And Charlie McAvoy, for one, already has a history with Columbus.
You see, McAvoy, now in his second full season with Boston, has just two career fighting majors in the NHL. Both came against the Blue Jackets, which might be a coincidence but is interesting nevertheless.
“They play with a lot of vinegar,” McAvoy told WEEI.com ahead of Monday’s Game 1. “I think that’s something we try to do as well. So I guess to an extent we’ll see who could do it better.”
McAvoy dropped the gloves for the first time against Pierre-Luc Dubois on Dec. 18, 2017, at TD Garden. The Bruins defenseman more than held his own, landing a few shots during a bout behind Boston’s net.
It took more than a year, but McAvoy finally threw down again on March 12, 2019. This time, McAvoy squared off against Artemi Panarin in Columbus. The two exchanged some wild punches.
We probably shouldn’t expect more haymakers from McAvoy in this series, especially since he’s far more valuable to the Bruins on the ice than in the penalty box. But those looking for the slightest bit of animosity ahead of a new postseason matchup must look no further than McAvoy’s two skirmishes.
Now, are you fired up?
