Cassidy said that while the outside noise is putting an emphasis on the emotion surrounding his return to TD Garden, his focus remains on putting the Golden Knights (18-7-1, 37 points) in the best position to win.
"I think players go through that a lot more," Cassidy said when asked if he has any added "juice" for this matchup. "I saw it with Jack [Eichel] in Buffalo. You see it with different players that go back home. I think with coaches, it's a little different. You're just trying to game plan and give them as much information as needed without overloading them.
"They don't want to hear everything about Boston. We're a pretty good team in our own right. They want to hear the coach give them a plan and what the best way to beat them. That's what we'll focus on.
"Listen, we're competitive coaches, we want to win every game. Most coaches when they go back want to put their best foot forward, that's the way I look at it - show, 'Hey we're a pretty good team too,' and let the chips fall where they may."
The Bruins were taking a similar approach, acknowledging that it is sure to be a special night for Cassidy in his return, while trying to keep the emphasis on the task at hand, which is trying to collect two points against one of the league's toughest teams.
"Appreciative of all the time we had with Butch. I'm sure it's going to be a special game for him," said Bergeron. "For us, obviously we're playing against the best team in the West, so it's a big chance for us, and looking forward to having a good game…it's a great challenge. I think you have to just play the game and execute the system that we have.
"[Cassidy] definitely has a scouting report on pretty much all of us in here, so I'm sure he's going to be well preparing his team like he always does. But for us, the bottom line is, again - it's a great team that we're playing and we know it's a big challenge, so be ready for that."
