Video: Pat Maroon Has Never Viewed The Bruins As ‘Soft’

During the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, new Boston Bruins winger Pat Maroon, who was a member of the St. Louis Blues at the time, famously challenged the Bruins’ bench.

“You’re fuc%ed!” Maroon shouted as he skated by the Bruins bench in Game 5 of the seven-game series he and the 2018-19 Blues won in seven games.

Since that infamous series loss, the Boston Bruins have struggled to deal with bigger and more physical teams and seemingly outmuscled in Stanley Cup Playoffs losses to Pat Maroon and the 2019-20 Tampa Bay Lightning, the 2020-21 New York Islanders, and last spring in their seven-game first-round series loss to the 2022-23 Florida Panthers. That, unfortunately, has resulted in the ‘soft’ label being given to the Bruins by plenty of fans and media a like. Ironically, one of the players responsible for that label on the Bruins has never viewed them that way as an opponent.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Maroon replied to Boston Hockey Now when asked on Friday if he viewed the Boston Bruins that way as an opponent.

“I mean, there’s so many different avenues you can go on who’s being tough and who’s being soft. Winning your puck battles is playing heavy; winning your d-zone battles is playing heavy. There’s so many components than just the fights in the game. That’s just another attribute of the game. So for me, I think I look at it big picture instead of just the fights, and everything else. Winning your puck battles on the wall, being heavy on the forecheck, being hard on D, taking pucks, being heavy in the D-zone; that’s being heavy. That’s playoff hockey, being physical, and getting in guys’ faces.

So, I think I see that. It’s been fun to watch. They’re a fast-paced team with a lot of transition, and a lot of power offense too. So, I’m really excited to get out there with the guys and be part of it.”

Will the Bruins play like the physical teams that have beaten them in the playoffs so many times since 2019?

Those are the MightyTips free bet tips you should be looking for as the Stanley Cup Playoffs approach.

Here’s the full BHN interview with Maroon: