Marco Sturm has no problem with fighting, and the Bruins coach's stance was on full display Sunday in a 4-1 win over the Panthers.
Steve Warne noted that not everyone sees the value of fighting in hockey, but the head coach of the 13-4-1 Bruins does. It's a stance that fits what happened at TD Garden, where Nikita Zadorov dropped the gloves with Brady Tkachuk off the opening draw.
From there, it got ugly, in the way Boston fans like it. Mark Kastelic and Tkachuk both drew 10-minute misconducts, and Zadorov finished with 17 penalty minutes. The teams combined for 126, the most in any game this season.
Jack Studley pointed out that the referees handed out seven 10-minute misconducts in all. Zadorov wasn't interested in arguing about the calls.
Asked about his 17 minutes, Zadorov said you can go back and watch the tape and decide if he deserved them, adding "I don't think I can comment on the officials."
The Bruins took the fight to Florida and then took the game. Charlie McAvoy said that is just how the Panthers play, and the Bruins answered it.
Is this the Bruins' new identity?
Look at where this team was on Oct. 30. Sturm ripped the Bruins' effort after a sloppy loss in St. Louis, their second straight defeat. Since then they have been much harder to play against.
Sunday showed why that matters. Zadorov said the Bruins' own mistakes had hurt them before against a team as experienced as Florida, which can pull you into the fight.
"We had each other's backs today," Zadorov said, according to Boston Hockey Now. He added that the Bruins settled in, played smart and scored when they could.
Jeremy Swayman, who made 40 saves for his ninth win, pointed to the same moment. He said it's easy to follow guys who are going to "put their bodies on the line," and credited Z and Kasty for doing that.
That's the case for Sturm's view, and it's a strong one. A fight off the opening draw cost the Bruins nothing on the scoreboard, and they gave up one goal on a day when the Panthers wanted a brawl.
The win was the Bruins' fourth straight and seventh in a row at home. If anyone around the league thinks the Bruins can be pushed around now, Thursday against the Canadiens is the next chance to find out. For more on how Swayman stole the afternoon, see our earlier look at his 40-save matinee.
Quick hits
NEW JERSEY DEVILSAnthony Mantha is hurt and the Devils are short up front, so they've recalled forward Riley Tufte from Utica. A quick fix for a thin lineup.
OTTAWA SENATORSRidly Greig is skating with the main group at Monday's practice, according to Andrew Wilimek. Good sign ahead of Winnipeg.
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETSMark Scheig reports Adam Fantilli went down hard during a drill, stayed on the ice for a moment, then went straight to the room. Nobody wants to see that.
WASHINGTON CAPITALSSammi Silber reports Vincent Desharnais hit the ice before practice in a non-contact jersey. It's a step forward.
MONTREAL CANADIENSJosh Anderson is back on the ice at practice this morning in Brossard, according to Dans Les Coulisses. The Canadiens could use him ahead of the Wild game.
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