BOSTON—Those were the Boston Bruins everyone was expecting.The Rock ’em Sock ’em Big Bad Bruins got themselves back in this series with a physical display of domination, getting the better of the Maple Leafs with a 4-1 win Saturday night, while also getting under the skin of Nazem Kadri.The edge to the game took a toll on players on both sides: Boston’s Torey Krug took a hard hit from Jake Muzzin and fell hard into the boards and left the game.Kadri suffered a knee-on-knee hit from Jake DeBrusk, Boston’s big agitator for the evening, late in the second. Kadri scored the lone Leafs goal but, tired of being targeted all night, got thrown out of the game after cross-checking DeBrusk. Kadri seemed to be retaliating to a DeBrusk hit on Patrick Marleau. Kadri and DeBrusk had fought in the first period. Kadri has a history of crossing the line and has been suspended multiple times, including last year for three games against Boston. As a repeat offender, he could be suspended again.Leafs coach Mike Babcock said he didn’t see the hit.“The league decides … all this kind of stuff,” he said. “It was a physical game. The referees let a lot of stuff go. In the end, you can’t let that get in the way of what you’re doing. Playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs isn’t supposed to be easy.”Boston’s win tied the best-of-seven series at a game apiece, with Game 3 Monday at the Scotiabank Arena. The Leafs stole home ice advantage with a win in Game 1. But that might have just poked the bear. If there was surprise about Game 1, it wasn’t so much that the Maple Leafs were the more physical team, it was that Boston wasn’t physical at all.The town felt like it brooded over that. Between games, the Bruins spoke a great deal about needing to answer the Leafs physically.Even Brad Marchand owned up to it, admitting the Bruins took the Leafs too lightly.“They played a little more physical ...
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