Connor Clifton was playing soccer with some of his teammates under one of the stairwells in TD Garden long before the puck dropped for Game 1 of their second-round series against the New York Islanders when he started to hear the building buzz.
For the first time in more than a year, the doors to TD Garden were open to a crowd that was expected to be nearly full capacity.
The familiar sound of fans filing in was like a shot of adrenaline.
“It’s why we play the game,” Clifton said. “We miss them a lot.”
The hardest part was containing their energy for the game.
“I think there was a lot of excitement around yesterday and having the fans back,” Clifton said. “We definitely talked about, ‘Don’t use all your energy in warm-ups.’”
That wasn’t an issue Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy had to worry about since he typically doesn’t go out for warmups. But the magnitude hit him as the lights dimmed and Todd Angilly started singing the national anthem.
Cassidy caught himself staring into the rafters.
“You’re looking around, you’re looking at the banners — Celtics, Larry Bird, etc.,” Cassidy said. “Then you’re looking at the Bruins banners. You know, where can we hang a Stanley Cup banner? And you’re taking it all in at the same time.”
But the buzz in the arena added an element that had been missing.
“This is the first time in a while, obviously, where now you got noise during the national anthem,” Cassidy said. “Now you’ve got just the typical full house surroundings and noise that go with it. To me, that’s what I was trying to enjoy.”
In a dominant 5-2 win, the Bruins put on a show in front of a crowd they had been longing for since the COVID-19 pandemic changed the sports landscape and left teams playing in empty arenas.
After playing last season under the challenging circumstances of a bubble, then returning to a quiet home rink, Cassidy said he was glad that moment of normalcy finally came.
“That’s what I was thinking about, just being grateful to be back in that mix because we didn’t know honestly two or three weeks ago,” Cassidy said. “We didn’t know if we would have a full house or not. We thought maybe it might be another year of playoffs where we’re limited in numbers.
“Last year we had none at all, so I think it was awesome. We’re very appreciative of the crowd and grateful that we were able to get more people into the building. Hopefully, keep it going because it just adds to it. That is playoff hockey.”
Fourth line faceoff
Knowing they would be tested against the Islanders’ potent fourth line of Matt Martin, Cal Clutterbuck, and Casey Cizikas, Cassidy threw his fourth line into the fire, sending out the fourth line of Curtis Lazar, Chris Wagner, and Sean Kuraly to start the game.
The trio has played together since Game 2 of the Bruins’ first-round series against the Washington Capitals, and Lazar said they were up for the challenge.
“When you’re going into a series you want to look across at the other team and you want to win your battles, win your matchups,” Lazar said. “It seems that that’s the line that we’re going to be going against, it’s a great challenge. They’re one of the top fourth lines in the league. They’ve been playing together for numerous years.
“So for Kurls [Sean Kuraly], Wags, and myself, I think we accept that with open arms. Last night, we did our job. We put our best foot forward each time we step on the ice and play to our identity.”
Neither line budged, but Cassidy said he liked what he saw out of the Bruins’ group. They haven’t given the team any scoring, but Cassidy said their physicality and puck protection will be valuable.
“They were physical when they needed to be,” Cassidy said. “Better O-zone, puck protection a little better than they have been in the past. They’re finding that part of the game in the playoffs really can wear teams down and benefit us. If they can generate a little from that, that’s great. Hopefully, they do.
“We’re going to need everybody and they’re going to need everybody and they’re going to need to play against good players. If they get a little bit of confidence here at home, once we go to New York, it won’t be an issue worrying about matchups. So it bodes well for them if they can sort of replicate that type of game.”
Smith’s status uncertain
Craig Smith received treatment Sunday after sustaining a lower-body injury in Game 1. Cassidy said he would have a better idea about his availability for Game 2 on Monday ... Kevan Miller did not practice with the taxi squad Sunday and will not be available Monday ... Matt Grzelcyk, who was shaken up after taking a hit from Leo Komarov in the second period, also received treatment. Cassidy said he “looks good” and should be available Monday.
Julian Benbow can be reached at julian.benbow@globe.com.
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