The two points up for grabs in Saturday’s contest between the Bruins and Lightning were much more important to the Lightning as their chances at an Atlantic Division are slipping by the day.

The Lightning ultimately ended up with those two points, cutting the Bruins lead in the division to seven, but the Bruins sent a message and firmly answered a question that has been asked since losing the Stanley Cup Final last June.

Is this team tough enough to win?

The answer is yes.

The two division rivals combined for 94 total penalty minutes, five misconducts, four fighting majors and Lightning assistant coach Todd Richards was ejected from the contest.

“We responded well and it was kind of on from there, the physicality part. So, I think both teams kind of went toe-to-toe in that regard, so yeah, there’s a lot of value in that. We pride ourselves on that,” said head coach Bruce Cassidy. “In fact, it was discussed earlier this year that we didn’t have enough of that, and I certainly feel we do. Certainly tried to prove that tonight, and try to win the game at the same time.”

The whole winning the game part was something the Bruins certainly would have liked to do, but their own doing in the first period put the Bruins in a hole they ultimately couldn’t climb out of.

With Barclay Goodrow serving two of his 11 total penalty minutes on the evening, the Bruins first power play unit allowed two shorthanded goals thanks to sloppiness with the puck, and failure to get themselves into the right position off a faceoff win.

“I don’t think it’s been a shorthanded parade this year like it was as much last year as this year. I think there has been more attention to that part of the game. We just didn’t have it early on tonight in terms of having the urgency against a team we talked about will try to score shorthanded goals, so it wasn’t like it surprised us,” said Cassidy.

“This is in their DNA, so that’s the frustrating part as a coach. We kind of knew they would attempt that, and they were able to do it even though we talked about it.”

The two teams completed their season series in Boston Saturday night with the Lighting taking three-of-four from the Bruins. If things fall into place the way they should, the two should meet once again in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“You’ve got two teams fighting for the top of the standings,” said Sean Kuraly, who went from celebrating his second period goal at the Bruins bench, to hauling down the Lightning’s Alex Killorn at center ice with the type of tackle NFL teams would love to employee. “But I think it’s a little more than that, too. We want to set the stage for what could possibly be to come. Two competitive teams that don’t want to give an inch.”

Since their playoff series in 2018—won by the Lightning in five games—it’s seemed that with each game between the two, the rivalry between them has grown.

Saturday night was the tip of the iceberg and by far the most physically entertaining of the bunch.

“I feel like we’re getting a little bad blood right now. We’re starting to stir the pot here a little bit, which is fun going into meaningful games down the stretch,” said Lightning forward Patrick Maroon who is getting his first taste of the newly formed rivalry after coming over from the St. Louis Blues.

“Boston is the team. What they accomplished last year and what they’ve accomplished this year. That’s the team to beat and it’s good to start a little rivalry here against a good hockey team and a team that plays the right way. They play tough and they like to stick up for their teammates.”

There was a lot of sticking up for teammates on both sides. Nick Ritchie went after Goodrow after the Lightning forward sent an elbow up high to Ondrej Kase, an elbow that eventually led to Goodrow dropping the gloves with Chris Wagner for the first of three official fights in the game.

“It is good, and I’m glad to see that part of it. I mean, we were told he was a good teammate, so it doesn’t surprise me, but you never know until that situation presents itself,” Cassidy said of Ritchie’s willingness to stick up for teammates.

“I was happy to see him do it, now he’s done it a few times for us. He, after the hit on Kase, he was the first to go over, I believe, to try to sort of rectify that situation. But at the end of the day, he knows that’s part of what we do here and has learned quickly.”

After the Bruins were the better team in Tampa Bay on Tuesday, the Lightning wanted to come into Boston on Saturday and send the Bruins a message.

The Bruins responded, and responded well, showing not only the Lightning, but the rest of the National Hockey League they’re not going to be pushed around like they were against the Blues last June.

“I think some of the stuff we talked about, sticking together and as far as team chemistry goes, we’re already a really tight group. But you see guys answer the bell for each other, regardless of their size or role or anything and everyone steps for each other and makes sure we have each other’s back,” said Charlie McAvoy who got the Bruins on the board with his 5th goal of the season.

“That’s something where you look at it and you’re proud of one another. That’s the kind of hockey you’re going to run into down the road. It’s nice to know that everybody has each other’s back.”

I don’t think anyone would complain if these two teams run into each other down the road.

Both literally and figuratively.

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