All it took was one shift for Tom Wilson to draw the Bruins attention. The pesky forward exchanged words with the Bruins as he completed his opening shift.

It was much of the same for the remainder of the night between Wilson and the Bruins.

Any time another team’s player goes about agitating ways, whether by choice or not, Brad Marchand always seems to be involved.

With Marchand and Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov exchanging cross-checks behind the Capitals’ net, Wilson decided to take matters into his own hands towards the end of the second period. Coming in as the third man, Wilson stormed towards a helmetless Marchand – while still engaged with Orlov – eventually taking him down.

It was absolutely a dangerous play, but only Marchand and Orlov were sent to the box on matching cross-checking minors.

Dmitry Orlov to Brad Marchand: Cross-checks to my back WILL NOT BE TOLERATED pic.twitter.com/yKvKK2S0pt

— Ian Oland (@ianoland) December 15, 2017

“Well, I voiced my opinion at the end of the period. I think it’s wrong and to me, to just put two guys into the box in that situation when a third guy comes in, there should have been an additional call,” head coach Bruce Cassidy said.

“That’s the way I felt about it, they didn’t see it that way. Clearly, two guys, Orlov and Marchy [Marchand] were battling and for him [Wilson] to come in is unnecessary, to say the least in that situation. But their job is to police it on the ice, and in that particular instance, that’s the way the saw it and that’s the way it went.”

Wilson has made a living in the National Hockey League thanks to getting under the skin of his opponents. As a guy who knows a thing or two about that, Marchand seems to understand Wilson’s role. He saw a lot of it firsthand on Thursday night.

“That’s his game, he plays that way and he’s effective at it,” said Marchand. “So that’s what got him a job in the NHL and continues to allow him to play. Again, he’s effective at what he does.”

Marchand didn’t have much to say about Wilson’s action on his matching cross-check to Orlov. But, that may change once he sees the replay.

“To be honest with you, I didn’t see the replay, so I really don’t know who came in when,” added Marchand. “I just know it was a big cluster.”

With just under two minutes left in the third period, Marchand and Wilson were given matching ten-minute misconducts, ending their nights a bit early.

Wilson and the Caps got the last laugh, knocking off the Black and Gold for the 11th straight time, 5-3.