Jeremy Swayman denied goalie fight in Montreal by Sam Montembeault

BOSTON -- Saturday night offered a spirited affair between the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens. The longtime rivals went back and forth all night, with the Habs sending the home fans home happy with a 3-2 overtime win.

The game itself offered plenty of action ... but one can't help but feel a bit unfulfilled at what didn't happen late in the third period.

After Bruins netminder Jeremy Swayman covered a puck, he didn't appreciate the extra pokes from agitating Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher. So Swayman took a couple of swipes at Gallagher's head, and Gallagher responded in kind, ripping Swayman's mask off.

"I think it was a scrum. Hockey play," a nonchalant Swayman told reporters after the game. "You see it 10 times a night. So nothing different."

A linesman quickly swooped in and separated the helmet-less Swayman from the fracas, because goalies can't be fighting skaters. Seemingly realizing that, a smiling Swayman turned his attention to the man standing about 180 feet down the other end of the ice. Swayman skated to the edge of his crease and grabbed his helmet, but before putting it on, he looked at Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault and raised his arms. The question seemed to be if Montembeault wanted to dance.

"Just letting him know I'm there," Swayman explained.

Montembeault, though, didn't budge, leaving Swayman without a partner.

The world didn't get to see a goalie fight, but Swayman at least left this lasting image that shows what he's about:

"I mean, if it calls for it," Swayman said when asked if he hoped Montembeault answered his call. "I'm not gonna say yes or no. It didn't happen, obviously. So nothing to talk about."