You could make a strong case that the NHL's best rivalry right now is the Boston Bruins versus the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The latest chapter happened on March 7 when the Bruins defeated the Leafs 4-1 in what Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe called "by far" the most physical game his team had played all season. These rivals combined for 91 hits and 50 penalty minutes.
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It didn't take long for the action to get started, either. Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe cross-checked Brad Marchand in the face after a whistle early in the first period. Marchand was furious and let McCabe and the rest of the Leafs bench know about it.
The Bruins shared a mic'd up video of the scene in a post on X. Given the heated nature of the conversations, the team had to bleep out a lot of what Marchand was saying.
The Bruins made the Leafs pay on the ensuing power-play when David Pastrnak opened the scoring. Marchand appeared to have a few more words for the Leafs bench after the goal.
The Bruins swept their four-game regular season series with the Leafs and won't play Toronto again unless it's in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Given how much these teams don't like each other, another Bruins-Leafs playoff series would be incredible. And if it does happen, you can bet Marchand will be right in the middle of the action.