With the clock winding down on a stunning Boston Bruins 3-2 comeback win over the Florida Panthers at the TD Garden, two years worth of frustration for fans of the Black and Gold was unleashed by defenseman Nikita Zadorov.
For the last couple of seasons, Sam Bennett was been public enemy No. 1 when the Bruins play the Panthers. From his dirty, cheap and coward hits, incuding the cheap shot on Brad Marchand in the playoffs last year, to his production that he has had a hand in against Boston. Imagine being public enemy No. 1 on a team with Matthew Tkachuk?
Zadorov is in his first season in Boston and it hasn't been a good one, if we're being honest. However, with 3.3 seconds remaining against Florida, Zadorov had enough of Bennett and got the tough guy to drop the gloves. Zadorov and Bennett squared off in front of the Boston goal and the Bruins blueliner dropped Bennett with a couple of punches. In typical Bennett fashion, once the linemen broke up the fight, he got a few extra punches in on Zadorov. That fight was what Black and Gold fans have been waiting for and he fired up his teammates.
"I haven't been that fired up in a long time,'' Mason Lohrei said. "That was unbelievable."
Lohrei wasn't the only one who was fired up as it was refreshing to see the Bruins and Zadorov have some fight after all the trades of the last week and literally going down fighting.
Vinni Lettieri impressing interim coach Joe Sacco
Journeyman Vinni Lettieri has played in 11 games this season for the Bruins and has two goals, but it's not the production that is keeping him in the lineup. He provides Boston with many things off the scoresheet according to interim coach Joe Sacco.
"He has energy, skates well, and can shoot the puck,'' said Sacco. "I think it's hard when you bounce up and down a lot like that but he's a good pro, he takes good care of himself and he's a good character guy so there are a lot of positives that he brings."
Lettieri does bring energy and a lot of emotion to the lineup. He is relentless on the forecheck and causes headaches for opposing teams in the offensive zone with his scrappy style.
David Pastrnak stays on scoring heater
When the Bruins lost, 1-0, on March 2 against the Minnesota Wild, the shutout snapped David Pastrnak's scoring streak at 17 games. In typical Pastrnak fashion, he picked up where he left off in the next game after scoring a goal and picking up an assist against the Panthers, he is now on a four-game point streak.
In 66 games this season, Pastrnak has 33 goals and 48 assists for 81 points. He won't get much consideration, if any, for the Hart Trophy because of the season the Bruins are having, but he should at least be in the conversation.