You couldn’t miss Pat Maroon’s presence on the ice in Game 1 of the Boston Bruins’ first-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs at TD Garden on Saturday night.
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Maroon, who missed more than two months after having back surgery to address an injury suffered when he was with the Minnesota Wild, seemed to be back to full health in Game 1, as he wasn't afraid to make big impact hits.
He made his biggest statement with a massive check in the first period that sent Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren flying into the Bruins’ bench.
Here’s a look at the huge hit by Maroon:
Maroon, who got into just two regular-season games with Boston, led the team with six hits total in Game 1. He also showed a willingness to take hits in order to make plays, like on the game's opening goal. Maroon got sandwiched by Joel Edmundson and Ryan Reaves, but made a clean breakout pass to Jesper Boqvist that led to Johnny Beecher's 2-on-1 goal.
For Maroon, bringing a physically imposing style of play is nothing new. He’s done it throughout his 151 playoff games,in particular on runs to three Stanley Cup wins, including one against the Bruins in 2019 with St. Louis.
There were also times you could see Maroon being vocal on the bench.
When asked what he was talking about in those moments, Maroon said, “There's going to be momentum shifts throughout the period, so you've just got to find a way to calm guys down and try and get back on track.”
Bruins captain Brad Marchand spoke about the leadership Maroon brings to Boston this postseason.
“He has a ton of experience, which you can draw on, and is very comfortable talking in any situation,” Marchand said. “He keeps guys accountable, and it's not an easy thing to do for a guy to come in at a deadline and act like that and have that confidence in the room. But because of the experience, he does, and it makes a big difference.”
Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo said, “When you hear a guy like that speaking, everybody listens. Everyone takes care of what they're going to based off of his words, just from his experience and his leadership.”
“He’s a great resource for all of us and a great leader as well,” Carlo added about Maroon.