Pastrnak reacts to fight against Tkachuk: “I would do anything for these guys” originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Bruins and the Florida Panthers still hate each other.
After Game 1 physical but above all tame of this Eastern Conference second round series, the The intensity went up several notches in Wednesday night’s Game 2. at Amerant Bank Arena.
The Panthers increased their lead to 4-1 just 88 seconds into the third period, and that’s when chaos ensued.
Pat Maroon and Nick Cousins were ejected after receiving 10-minute fouls with 9:35 left in the game.
There was a mini-brawl at the line about 35 seconds later when several players got tangled in the Panthers’ zone.
Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour made the score 6-1 with 8:02 left in the period and stared down Brad Marchand afterward. The two got into an altercation and Marchand was also ejected from the game.
The craziest scene occurred later in the period, when Matthew Tkachuk and David Pastrnak got into an actual fight near center ice. Pastrnak shouldn’t fight anyone given his importance to the Bruins. They can’t risk him suffering an injury as a result. But he does deserve some credit for standing up for himself.
“To be honest, I’m not afraid of him,” Pastrnak said after the game when asked about the fight, via the NESN broadcast. “I can take a hit and I would do anything for these guys here.”
Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery appreciated Pastrnak’s toughness.
“What I’m really proud of: I’m proud of Pasta. “There are so many guys pushing behind the whistles when the linesmen are there,” Montgomery said after the game, via the NESN broadcast. “Tkachuk and Pasta, they just went out and fought. That’s what you like. You like your hockey players to be competitors.”
The Panthers eventually cruised to a 6-1 victory to even the series. These two teams combined for 148 penalty minutes, and 136 of them came in the third period alone.
After what happened in last season’s first-round series, it’s not the least bit surprising that it only took five periods for this year’s series to go off the rails.
They are two very physical teams that don’t like each other at all. It’s hard to imagine the intensity slowing down much when the series moves to Boston for Game 3 at TD Garden on Friday night.