There are pests all over the National Hockey League, maybe none more recognized than Boston Bruins’ right winger Brad Marchand. Until recently, Marchand was seen by many in Boston as a perfect balance between irritation and skill. That is, until this year’s playoffs. The undersized winger registered just five assists in 12 postseason games, while going goalless. Not only was he not scoring, but he was taking stupid penalties. Penalties that may not be called for other players, but for Marchand, they’re called ten times out of ten.
Brad Marchand on reputation calls: “That’s something I have to work on … I have to focus on playing the game.” #Bruins
— Steve Buckley (@BuckinBoston) May 16, 2014
His reputation reared its ugly head in game seven of the second round against the Montreal Canadiens. In the first period, Marchand was undoubtedly crosschecked by Montreal defenseman Andrei Markov into goalie Carey Price. Instead of a penalty being assessed to Markov, Marchand was called for goaltender interference. It didn’t take long for him to earn another nonsensical penalty, snowing Price early in the second period, and finding himself in the penalty box once again. Luckily for Marchand, the Canadiens didn’t convert on those power plays, but they shouldn’t be minimized. Those penalties pin the Bruins in their defensive end for four minutes of the game and stop any offensive momentum that they’d previously established.
That stuff is all okay, as long as you put the puck in the net. Dating back to last year’s Eastern Conference Finals against Pittsburgh, Marchand hasn’t scored in 20 straight playoff games. Although Marchand and the Bruins had an outstanding regular season, in retrospect, that means nothing to the fans in Boston. It’s championship or bust. Marchand did have 25 goals in the regular season for the second time in his career to go along with a plus-36 rating, but that is all swept under the rug once playoff time rolls around.
After his dreadful postseason, many Bruins fans are calling for Marchand to be traded. That wouldn’t surprise me at all, as Marchand could be a nice piece in a potential deal to bring in an offensive-minded defenseman—someone like Phoenix’s Keith Yandle or Vancouver’s Alexander Edler. One thing’s for sure, the Bruins management needs to do more this offseason than they did at this year’s trade deadline—bringing in Andrej Meszaros and Corey Potter, who were essentially irrelevant.
It remains to be seen, but if Marchand’s antics and lack of postseason production play any role in his future with the Bruins, there may be no future at all.
