They last met on December 29, a throwback to the Big Bad Bruins of yesteryear. That 7-3 trouncing by Boston over Ottawa featured the most goals of the season so far by the Black and Gold. It also ended with 110 total penalty minutes, 82 in the last 60 seconds with gloves and sticks and fisticuffs punctuating the ice – and the win in the last game of 2015.

It also resulted in a three-game suspension for Brad Marchand, handed down the next day after the league reviewed a low-bridge hit on Ottawa’s Mark Borowiecki in the first period. That kept Marchand out for the Winter Classic, and on the sidelines until Saturday night in Canada’s capital on “Hockey Night in Canada.”

Friday night, the Bruins dismantled the New Jersey Devils for the franchise’s 3000th win over 92 seasons. Setting the stage for Saturday’s showdown that had all the advanced billing for a penalty-filled rematch — just in time for Claude Julien’s 900th career game as an NHL bench boss.

Here’s what we learned after one of the best games of the season for both teams in the playoff-type affair.

Totally opposite game from December 29.

The 2-1 OT loss in a well-played game by both teams had but 10 total penalty minutes. Boston and Ottawa were separated by two points going in — both sitting in a crowded field for final playoff positions — now just one point. With all divisional games now four-point affairs, it’s unlikely there’ll be many throwback games throughout the season.

The game was all but even until Mark Stone beat Tuukka Rask at 4:23 of OT after a frenzy of play up and down the ice.

Score this one as a good reason why the 3-on-3 OT is here to stay. It was pure electricity.

Loui, Loui 0-for-2 in OT!

No Bruin will be talked about more in the upcoming weeks than Loui Eriksson. He becomes an unrestricted free agent July 1. That won’t happen. The major piece of the Tyler Seguin trade will likely be moved before the February 29 trade deadline for a young defenseman.

Not likely the Bruins will pony up something in the vicinity of $35-40 million for 6-7 years for Eriksson. His salary is $4.5 million this year.

Eriksson had a golden opportunity to win the game Saturday night when he broke in solo on Craig Anderson in OT – seconds before Mark Stone beat Tuukka Rask for the game-winner — his second breakaway in the extra session.

A newly branded Brad Marchand in the making?

Boston’s bad boy had three games and eight days to make a major decision about transforming his on-ice presence and reputation. “Crossroads” has been bandied about with regard to Marchand’s career and leadership position, while leading the team in penalty minutes and enduring occasional suspensions.

Can Marchand keep his pesky and ball-of-energy game, while decreasing the aforementioned infractions? He and Patrice Bergeron are tied for the team lead in goals with 15.

One game does not make the man, but Saturday night Marchand was all he usually is – but without any penalty minutes in over 18 minutes of ice time and a plus-1.

The Bruins road record rumbles on.

Entering Saturday night, the team’s second of a five-game road trip read an impressive 12-3-3 record away from TD Garden, among the very best in the NHL. The three losses the very lowest. Saturday’s OT loss kept those stats intact.

Ottawa-Boston rivalry second to Montreal?

“They are now rivals,” NESN”s Jack Edwards said about the two teams. While Montreal will never be supplanted as Boston’s No. 1 nemesis, which team comes next, especially in the Atlantic Division?

Last year the ‘Sens outpointed Boston by one to get that last playoff spot. With the Flyers and Rangers in the Metropolitan Division, and after these last two games vs. Ottawa, it seems at least to be an emerging argument, eh?

Get your rest, boys.

The team plays its next nine games in 16 days, starting Monday night in New York against the Rangers.

That 3,000th franchise win.

Those wondering if you’ll be here to celebrate the Bruins’ 4,000th franchise win, here’s some basic math. At 40 wins a year, the 4,000th should come somewhere around 2040. I’ll be 100! Doubt it.