From his early days spent pestering his brother while growing up outside of Halifax, Nova Scotia, to the time he permanently ingratiated himself to the Garden crowds by using Daniel Sedin’s face as a speedbag during the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, Brad Marchand has always embraced his role as an agitator out on the ice.
Often times, that role has seen him toe the line between pest and problem child in the eyes of the NHL — but the pugnacious winger hasn’t often been repentant when it comes to the way he carries himself as a player, even during his early seasons with the Bruins.
"I'll never say that it didn't get me into the league, because it definitely helped," Marchand said last May during the Bruins’ break-up day following a playoff exit against Tampa Bay. "I got here playing a certain way and I'll never look back and say that I wished I changed it, because I don't."
But while fielding questions during that media scrum at Warrior Ice Arena last year — something seemed a bit off from the candid forward.
After closing out a 2017-18 campaign that saw him:
- Suspended five games for elbowing now-teammate Marcus Johansson.
- Fined twice for other offenses.
- Catching plenty of flak during the Stanley Cup Playoffs for licking both Leo Komarov and Ryan Callahan.
… Marchand appeared ready to put such antics in the rearview mirror going into the 2018-19 season.
From Dec. 22 through the end of the regular season (a span of 44 games), Marchand was only knocked for 18 PIM. And when he wasn’t stuck in the sin bin, he was producing in the offensive zone, tallying 25 goals and a whopping 64 total points during that 44-game stretch en route to a 100-point campaign.
Which is what makes Marchand’s actions on Tuesday night all the more frustrating.
With just 1:03 left in the third period of Boston’s eventual 2-1 loss to the Blue Jackets in Game 3, the “old” Marchand resurfaced for an ill-advised move. With Columbus defenseman
Scott Harrington
on his knees near the Jackets’ crease, Marchand delivered a jab to the back of his head before skating back to the Bruins’ bench.
While no penalty was called on the play, Marchand quickly found himself in the crosshairs of the NHL’s
Department of Player Safety — with discipline standing as a possibility due in large part to his lengthy rap sheet (six suspensions, five fines).
Thankfully for the Bruins, it looks as though Marchand will get off with just a slap on the wrist by the league, although more severe ramifications are in line if the winger continues to act up.
Speaking on Wednesday, Marchand didn’t seem to have many regrets for his latest infraction.
"(
Jake DeBrusk
) was taking a few punches in front of the net from a couple guys, so it was just kind of a reaction to that. …. It is what it is," he said. "There's a lot of media attention in the playoffs, and they jump onto things and hold onto it, and it creates a stir.
“I'm not overly concerned about what's said in the media and what fans say and stuff like that. It was an unnecessary play, but it is what it is. Games go on, and we're about the next one."
Marchand might be focusing on Game 4, but Boston’s top scorer didn’t do his clubs any favors with his actions on Tuesday — a move brought on perhaps by his lack of production in the O-zone as of late.
Cassidy believes the frustration is mounting for Marchand — and for good reason.
After tallying four goals and nine total points during Boston’s seven-game triumph over the Maple Leafs, Marchand has yet to etch himself on the scoresheet during any of Boston’s first three matchups against the Blue Jackets in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The numbers are even more dire as you take a deeper dive. While
Sergei Bobrovsky
has been spectacular so far this postseason, he hasn’t faced much pressure from a third-ranked Bruins power play — with Marchand and the rest of Boston’s top unit on the man advantage only landing
four shots on goal
during 10 power-play stints.
Especially at 5v5 play, Marchand has also left much to be desired, and not just against Columbus. Out of the 10 playoff games that the Bruins have taken part in so far this spring, a line featuring both Bergeron and his regular pivot in
Patrice Bergeron
has failed to score a 5v5 goal in nine of them.
The Marchand that the Bruins need if they want to get past the Blue Jackets has yet to arrive, and the old one is causing plenty of headaches for Cassidy and his staff.
“We’ve got to keep him on the right side of the line,” Cassidy said. “That’s how I deal with it as a coach. Remind him how valuable he is to the team, that it’s playoff hockey, that your name or number is circled in their locker room —
we’ve got to get this guy off his game
. What does that mean? It means you’re one of the better players. If you weren’t a good player, they wouldn’t be targeting you.
“So you’ve got to understand that there’s a little bit that goes along with it. He’s got to find that balance on the ice. We’ve been dealing with this for a long time. This isn’t me just going up —
Hey, Marchy, knock it off.
It doesn’t work that way. He’s got to find it in himself to make sure — we use his teammates around him to help him. Generally, if he starts having some level of success, that stuff goes away, because like I said, I think there is some frustration when top guys don’t score.”
Marchand is well within his rights to be frustrated with how this series has progressed — and in particular, how his production has fallen off a cliff. Channeling that exasperation into the antics that made him a cult hero in 2011, however, won’t do much to help the Bruins in 2019.
