Safe to say it was worth the trip for Gary Bettman.
The NHL commissioner made it to the ’Peg for the historic return of Stanley Cup Playoff hockey and was treated, along with 15,000-plus leather-lunged loonies in white, to a show for the ages, Monday.
This was not for the faint of heart — but for an entirely different reason than the first two games of the series.
Actually, the physical pounding continued from both sides.
But it came at a frantic pace that saw the ice open up, producing scoring chances that hadn’t been seen before.