Taylor Hall did not want to mosy his way back into the Bruins' lineup.
Prior to Saturday night's game at TD Garden, Hall acknowledged he was "excited" to get "thrown into the fire" after missing 20 games due to a lower-body injury. The 2018 Hart Trophy winner, indeed, dove back in head-first following his lengthy absence, as his return to the ice came in a high-intensity affair against New Jersey.
Hall played a shade over 12 minutes against the Devils, who enter Sunday with the third-most points in the NHL. After Boston's 2-1 win, Hall acknowledged playing against a heavyweight was a part of his return-to-action plan.
"I wanted to play in either the Toronto game or this game, just to feel that little bit of playoff intensity," Hall told reporters, per MassLive. "Teams that are really looking for points and against a really good team. That was important. ... To play a game like that where every shift mattered was great."
Hall "felt good" about his first game since late February. More than anything, the Bruins winger was happy to feel "like a hockey player" again after being on the shelf for over a month.
The 31-year-old will not be in the Bruins' lineup for Sunday's road tilt against the Philadelphia Flyers. As such, Hall will have two more opportunities to knock some rust off before Boston embarks on the Stanley Cup playoffs.
