The Bruins and Maple Leafs racked up 50 total penalty minutes, 91 combined hits, and four fighting majors on Thursday night in Boston’s 4-1 win at TD Garden.
But if Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman had his way, there might have been a few more scraps spilling out on the ice in Boston’s barn.
In what quickly devolved into a chippy bout between Original Six foes, Leafs forward Max Domi incited another extended brouhaha early in the third period after delivering a hit (and getting whistled for roughing) against Brad Marchand.
As the Bruins and Leafs skaters exchanged shoves and other post-whistle pleasantries, Swayman made his move.
Skating almost out to center ice, the Bruins’ 25-year-old netminder tried to get in on the action — challenging Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll to a bout as the Garden crowd cheered.
Woll did not oblige, with Swayman eventually skating back to his crease.
Swayman, who stopped 28 of the 29 shots that came his way in Boston’s home win, was asked about the potential goalie fight postgame.
“Probably didn’t call for it,” Swayman admitted. “I don’t know, I see all my guys go in — it’s a team effort. We all go in. He’s my buddy, I respect the hell out of him and his game. It was just an opportunity, but nothing happened.”
Considering Tim Thomas was in the building for the 2011 Bruins reunion, it would have been a fitting tribute for Swayman to drop the gloves with another goalie.
But Thursday was far from an outlier for Swayman, who also challenged Montreal’s Sam Montembeault to a potential round of fisticuffs during a cantankerous meeting between the Bruins and Habs in November.
While Swayman might be willing to drop the gloves, he’s still staying focused on the primary task — stopping pucks.
“I’ll never force something like that,” Swayman said of scrapping. “If it happens, it happens. It’s hockey, that’s it.”
While Swayman focuses on tending Boston’s net, Brad Marchand was pleased with Boston’s physical response against a Toronto team that the Bruins could meet in the first round of the playoffs.
“It’s just an emotional game for both sides,” Marchand acknowledged. “They brought it as well. It kind of starts when you get crosschecked to the face and throat pretty early. “
“I think that’s going to get anyone kinda riled up. From that point forward, it was an emotional game all the way through for both teams. … That was a playoff-type game and a fun one to be a part of.”
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