Tampa Bay and Boston renew their rivalry in Round 2

In the third-to-last regular season game before the National Hockey League pause, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins contested one of the more violent games of the season at TD Garden, a game that had a postseason-like feel in both the quality of play and the ire shown between the two teams.

That game March 7 featured 94 combined penalty minutes, most all season for the Lightning and second most for the Bruins behind a 104 penalty minute affair early in the season against San Jose. There were two fights (at least ones that officially counted as fights anyway), multiple scrums, six roughing penalties, five misconducts - including one on the Lightning bench -- and three unsportsmanlike conduct infractions.

The Lightning prevailed 5-3 thanks, in part, to a pair of shorthanded goals on Boston's opening power play of the game. The win wasn't just a takedown of a heated division rival and a team at the top of the NHL standings, however. The rough-and-tumble way in which the Lightning took the Bruins' best punch and delivered a knockout blow of their own sent a message to the rest of the League this Lightning team had a physicality to match the speed and skill they bring to the rink each night.

Barclay Goodrow was playing his sixth game as a member of the Lightning that Saturday night after joining the team on trade deadline day from San Jose. His fight with Chris Wagner in the first period started the fisticuffs, which reached a crescendo with 1:02 left in the second period when an all-out line brawl erupted that saw Pat Maroon take Zdeno Chara down to the ice, Charlie McAvoy turtling against Erik Cernak and Sean Kuraly coming off the bench to go after Alex Killorn.

Goodrow endeared himself to the Lightning that night, showing he could handle himself quite well when the game got physical and was more than willing to stick up for his new teammates. With the additions of Goodrow, Blake Coleman and Zach Bogosian at the deadline and the off-season acquisition of Maroon, the Lightning beefed up as a unit. That night, they showed they wouldn't be intimidated by anyone going forward, and more than likely, would be the ones doing the intimidating.

"The intensity was high. It was two very good teams going at it late in the season, trying to get their game in order before the playoffs," said Goodrow, who also fought Boston's Brett Ritchie in the Bruins' 104 penalty minute game against San Jose October 29. "I think that was a fun game to be a part of. For me, it was the most intense game I played before the stoppage. It was fun, and I'm sure that's kind of what this whole series is going to be about."

Tampa Bay went 3-1-0 against Boston during the regular season, including the fight-filled series finale at TD Garden. The Lightning split a pair of games at AMALIE Arena and won both contests in Boston.

The Lightning also defeated the Bruins 3-2 in the second Round Robin game of the 2020 Playoffs, a contest that turned physical after the Bolts went in front 2-0. Tyler Johnson eventually netted the game-winning goal with 1:27 remaining to break a 2-2 and send the Lightning to a 3-2 win.

The Second Round series between Tampa Bay and Boston features the past two Presidents' Trophy teams. The Bruins were the 2019-20 winner after collecting 100 points in 70 games, six more than second place and reigning Stanley Cup champion St. Louis. Tampa Bay earned its first Presidents' Trophy in 2018-19 after tying the NHL record for wins (62) and amassing 128 points.

"We played them a couple years ago (in the playoffs). And then we've had some pretty intense games with them since," Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said of the Tampa Bay-Boston rivalry. "Usually they're one-goal games and usually there's some sort of fireworks that have happened in the game. It's two competitive teams, and I think when two teams have been at the top of the standings battling it out over the years, that's what you're going to get. If the series is anything like the last time we played them up in Boston, it should be a fun one."

Tampa Bay has won five in a row in the playoffs against Boston, dating back to the teams' Second Round series in 2018. The Lightning were throttled 6-2 at home in Game 1 of that playoff matchup but reeled off four straight in another contentious, bitterly-contested series, one famously remembered for Bruins superstar Brad Marchand low bridging Ryan Callahan and then licking Callahan in the scrum that followed in Game 4.

The Lightning would lick the Bruins in the series, however, winning Game 4 on a Dan Girardi overtime goal to prevail in both games in Boston and closing the Bruins out in Game 5 with a 3-1 victory in Tampa.

"I think it's two teams that play with a lot of pride, and guys that have been on each other's teams for quite a while, faced off against each other many times," Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. "You're familiar with the style that they play and the intensity you know is going to be there for sure right from the start. If you're not prepared or ready for that physicalness and prepared to play at a high pace, you're going to get exposed, both teams both ways."

The 2020 Second Round between the Lightning and Bruins promises to be another in a long list of storied matchups between the two Atlantic rivals.

The puck drops on the series Sunday night at 8 p.m. from Toronto's Scotiabank Arena.