Legare embraces agitator role, 'getting under skin' of Bruins' prospects

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- After the Penguins jumped out to an early 2-0 lead against the Bruins in the Prospects Challenge at the Harborcenter here in Buffalo on Saturday afternoon, the Bruins began to play with a bit of chippiness.

Although the Bruins spared their chippiness for no one on the Penguins, Nathan Legare was at the center of their attention. 

"I heard the (Bruins) bench yelling at me and saying stuff," Legare told reporters after the Penguins’ 6-4 victory. "I was just focusing on myself."

The 21-year-old winger drew four penalties (yes, really) against the Bruins throughout the game.

Legare was involved in a post-whistle altercation with one of the Bruins about halfway through the first period. Despite evil eyes from both players indicating they were ready to drop the gloves, the officials were able to break them up before anything materialized and sent both of them off to the penalty box for roughing.

At the very end of Legare's next shift, another Bruin attempted to go after him, but he shrugged it off and laughed as the Bruins were assigned another roughing penalty. Valtteri Puustinen cashed in on a one-timer to put the Penguins up 3-0 just 33 seconds later.

Immediately following a faceoff toward the end of the period, Joseph Abate tried to fight Legare, but the center of attention wasn't prepared, and took multiple shots to the head from Abate as he fell to the ice.

Abate was assigned a major penalty and game misconduct. As he was escorted off the ice by an official, he hollered back at Legare for not fighting after dishing out a spear that went uncalled, but Legare did wind up in the box for roughing.

Then, intermission came and went, but tempers did not.

Early in the second period, the Bruins were stymied on a shorthanded breakaway that led to a whistle. Next thing you know, Legare had three Bruins all over him and a massive scrum ensued.

And, shockingly, that wasn't the end of the chaos ... or the beating Legare took.

At the end of the second period, Legare yet again got sucked into a post-whistle altercation, and yet again took sucker punches to the head after he was already down. Legare wasn't exactly innocent throughout these altercations, but this specific instance he legitimately didn't do anything to warrant the animosity toward him.

Ultimately, after the Bruins stormed back to trail by a lone goal in the third period, Legare got the last laugh by delivering the finishing blow to the Bruins' chances by banging home a rebound off a shot from Corey Andonovski.

"I felt great," Legare said. "I felt like I was playing like, like the real Nathan Legare. I was finishing my checks, putting pucks on net, and sometimes getting under their skin on the other side. So that was good."

But is the real Nathan Legare a pest that lives rent free in the opposition's heads?

"If you look at tonight, we’ll say yes, but yes, obviously, as a power forward, you try to play hard every shift," Legare said. "And sometimes when you finish pretty hard checks, sometimes guys on the other side are getting pissed off or stuff like that. So I think that's what happened tonight."

Legare hasn't been much of a pest since the Penguins drafted him in the third round of the 2019 draft, but today's performance was just doing whatever it took to help his team win, even if it meant taking some abuse.

It's not a good idea for Legare to fully embrace a goon role -- his best weapon is still his shot -- but there is an argument to be made that his chances of becoming an NHLer increase quite a bit if he's able to consistently get under skin the way he did on Saturday.

I asked J.D. Forrest what his message was for Legare after the Bruins continued to go after him.

"I mean, you know, my message isn't so much to him," Forrest responded. "It's everybody else. And look at what he's doing here. He's in all the hard areas, he's taken abuse to put us on the power play, he shouldn't be the only one doing it. So if you're brave enough to get in there and mix it up, like he did and just play hard hockey, we've got nothing but praise for him."

I'm not making a comparison between the two here, but the Penguins used to massively benefit from Patric Hornqvist playing exactly the way Forrest described. Legare likely won't ever develop into a star, but perhaps he can carve out a role as the spark plug who shows up when the rest of the team seems to be dragging.

Sam Poulin isn't sure Legare will be able to pull off such a performance every time he plays, but he was a fan of what he saw.

"Oh, it was great," Poulin said. "It's always fun to see that. And I know he can do it. ... Well, I guess he won't be doing this every game. But once in a while, it is great."

Regardless, Legare reiterated, his sole focus is on improving his game, being the best player he can be and helping his team win.

"And right now my focus is just to be just focused on myself," Legare said. "Focus, focusing on the team, putting the team first and just play the game and I think that's what happened tonight."