The Winnipeg Jets and Boston Bruins boast two of the best home records in the NHL and are universally considered difficult teams to play against.
Both teams have a mix of speed, size, skill and savvy, but Don Cherry believes another key factor is they aren’t afraid to drop the gloves.
“They stand up for themselves,” Cherry said Saturday during the Coach’s Corner segment of Hockey Night in Canada.
One example of this happened earlier this week when Trent Federic, in his first NHL game, dropped the gloves with Brandon Tanev of the Winnipeg Jets — much to the delight of Federic’s high-fiving parents in the stands.
Kevan Miller and Adam Lowry also fought during the physical Tuesday night contest.
Heading into Saturday’s action, the Bruins were second in fighting majors with 16, behind only the Ottawa Senators, while the Jets had 10 fighting majors.
“These guys stand up for themselves and that’s one of the reasons they win,” Cherry added.
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