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The biggest hit of the night was a case of friendly fire on the part of the Boston Bruins when Charlie McAvoy tossed John Tavares into Tuukka Rask. All of New England's hearts stopped for a collective moment.
"I think they were a little more physical than they were in the last game," Brad Marchand said after the game. "And maybe we weren't as much. But it is what it is."
The script of the series was flipped for the third time in three games on Monday night. The team who's succeeded in the physicality department has been winning and it's changed by the game.
The Leafs outhit the Bruins 33-31 in Game 1. Maple Leafs won 4-1.
The Bruins outhit the Leafs 44-39 in Game 2. Bruins won 4-1.
The Leafs outhit the Bruins 42-33 in Game 3. Maple Leafs won 3-2.
It also didn't help the Bruins that the Maple Leafs are a fast team in general.
"They're a fast team and we understand that so I think it's more our forecheck in the neutral zone," said Jake DeBrusk. "They got through way too easy today and there's other times where they seemed more urgent, so credit to them."
DeBrusk was one of many Bruins whose physical presence went from 100 to zero between Games 2 and 3, as he totaled no hits on Monday night. David Backes, the Bruins self-proclaimed bruiser, only had two hits in Game 3 after crunching Maple Leafs seven different times in Game 2.
The only time the Bruins seemed to be keeping up with the Maple Leafs in the hits department was the first period. It's no coincidence that the teams were tied after one.
"It was a good first period," said Bruce Cassidy. "There was physicality on both sides. They came out and skated hard -- they won a few more pucks than us. We got through it."
In Game 3, the Bruins didn't have the raucous TD Garden crowd behind every hit or Rob Gronkowski as banner captain to pump up an already inebriated crowd.
But it's the playoffs and it's crunch time.
Literally.
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