The tone for Saturday afternoon’s game between the Boston Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning at the TD Garden was set very quickly, with two fights occurring just seconds after the first faceoff.
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With a message to convey, the two teams had dispatched units of agitators onto the ice to begin the meeting. Even before the puck dropped, officials called out Patrick Maroon and Garnet Hathaway, who were already exchanging pleasantries.
Nine seconds later, two fights broke out simultaneously. The two aforementioned men threw away the gloves and were joined by Jakub Lauko and Ross Colton.
After just one third, 28 penalty minutes were awarded. Patrice Bergeron and Victor Hedman scored on both sides to make it 1-1 before the break.
Keep in mind that a win is guaranteed to land the Bruins at the top of the Atlantic Division.