BOSTON — There was no love lost between the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
The Bolts ultimately grabbed a 5-3 win at TD Garden, but the story of the night was the seemingly nonstop fighting between the two sides.
It started with Chris Wagner and Barclay Goodrow dropping the gloves with one another. Then there was a brawl during the second period, which featured Zdeno Chara and Pat Maroon dropping the gloves, in addition to other players mixing it up.
All in all, it was a pretty wild 60 minutes between the Eastern Conference’s top two teams, squads that might see each other in the second round of the playoffs.
Below is what folks from both teams had to say about all the chippiness.
Bruce Cassidy
“There’s a value in sticking up for one another, there’s a value in responding. Of course there is. Some nights, it’s more important than the outcome. I’m not going to sit here and say one or the other, we’ll look through it, but we wanted to respond. There was a, we thought, a high hit early on (Ondrej) Kase. You know, he’s been out. We responded well and it was kind of on from there, the physicality part. So, I think both teams kind of went toe-to-toe in that regard, so yeah, there’s a lot of value in that. We pride ourselves on that. In fact, it was discussed earlier this year that we didn’t have enough of that, and I certainly feel we do. Certainly tried to prove that tonight, and try to win the game at the same time.”
Zdeno Chara
On what was said between him and Pat Maroon: “That’ll stay on the ice.”
On Erik Cernak grabbing him from behind during his fight with Maroon: “That’s, sometimes you’re going to see that. You can’t really see what’s coming from behind.”
Brad Marchand
“I think we’re just two teams that are competitive, and sometimes games just get this way. They’re fun to be a part of, and guys did a good job of sticking up for themselves and each other, but at the end of the night it’s two points and we’ll move on to the next one.”
“Just kind of builds throughout the game. Emotions get high, they get a 3-0 lead and we start to pick it up and I think they get a little frustrated that we’re coming back and they’re going to push back from there. So that’s just kind of how games go sometimes.”
“Everybody kind of steps up for one another. We don’t have a weak link in that aspect of the game, when something’s going on we’re all in there together. Doesn’t happen often but when it does we’re there as a group.”
On if he was surprised to get matching penalties at the end of the second period: “It all happened quick. … Everybody got some shots in, it’s part of it.”
Sean KuralyÂ
On his role in second-period brawl: “It was actually, I got caught watching the replay up on the jumbotron and I didn’t see what was going on, but I was still on the ice and they had the 5-on-4 and I just figured that no one could come off then bench and Marchy told me to get in there. I just didn’t see what was going on, I saw two guys on one of ours and there wasn’t much thought into it. They’ve got more than you in there, so just jump in.”
“I think, especially our group, we love playing in those games.”
Alex Killorn
“I’m not sure (what elevated things). I think whenever we play these guys it seems to be a pretty physical game. I think we’ve probably added some guys at the deadline that maybe helped in that department, maybe took things to the next level. But we’re not going to back down from anyone, but yeah it was definitely a more physical game than previously.”
On the impact the Barclay Goodrow-Chris Wagner fight had on the game: “Goodrow is a guy that we added, and he’s not afraid of anyone. Like I said there were lots of instances, but that was kind of one that stands out. Different momentum swings in the game, but that was a good fight for us and I think that’s one of the reasons we brought him in at the deadline, he brings that toughness for us.”
Barclay GoodrowÂ
“You never know what’s going to happen in a game. When teams play each other so many times throughout the year and previous years there’s obviously a rivalry there and the games take on a different storyline each time you play. You never know what’s going to happen or which direction it’s going to go in, but tonight obviously there was a lot of scrappy kind of stuff.”
On his fight with Chris Wagner: “I don’t know, something that just happened. Kind of just happened.”
Pat Maroon
“I think it was just two good teams going at it. Two heavy teams playing heavy and people sticking up for their teammates, that’s good hockey. Good fights, all around a good game.”
“I thought everyone in this locker room did a really good job of manning up tonight, being physical, sticking up for your teammates. That’s playoff hockey right there.”
On the brewing rivalry between the Bruins and Lightning: “I feel like we’re getting a little bad blood right now. I think we’re starting to stir the pot here a little bit, which is fun. Going into meaningful games down the stretch here, Boston’s the team. What they accomplished last year, what they’re accomplishing this year, that’s the team to beat and that’s good to start a little rivalry here against a good hockey team that plays the right way, and they play tough and they like to stick up for their teammates.”
On his fight with Zdeno Chara: “The look on his face, I kind of got nervous there. In all honesty, I was just sticking up for (Mikhail Sergachev) there when was in the corner there, I was just trying to do my job. I’m here to protect my teammates in any way I can, stick up for them and maybe give them a spark. But Chara is a well-respected player in this league, I have the utmost respect for Chara. The guy is 43-years-old and still playing the game he loves and fighting people. It takes a lot of courage, and he does it. And like I said he gave me one and I was just sticking up for my teammates.”
