Nov 4, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) celebrates his game winning goal against the Florida Panthers during the overtime period of Boston
All it took was an undisclosed tweak and a demotion among the line up to ignite a spark under Marchand and get the ball rolling.
“I think the confidence part is certainly there. He missed a couple of real good opportunities before he even scored. I guess he was just feeling it, and it was just a matter of time.-Claude Julien
In his first game after leaving practice early, Brad Marchand came out on the ice and scored two goals and an assist. The following night, he scored the game-winning goal against the Senators in overtime. And last night, he performed to the same caliber, showing up when it mattered most and providing the team with their first three-game win streak of the season and his first point streak of the season.
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This is the Brad Marchand that we have been looking for since the departure of Tyler Seguin. Last season, it took him well into the winter months before he began performing, tallying a mere 25 goals and 53 points on the season, three goals shy of matching his career-high.
During the past offseason, some speculated that Marchand would be a good trade, one reporting that the Bruins were shopping him for San Jose Sharks’ Patrick Marleau. However, Peter Chiarelli quickly shot that one down stating;
Puck Prose
“I have had no discussions for Marchand and I have no plans to trade him,” wrote Chiarelli in a text to CSNNE. “I don’t make it a practice to respond to reports in the social media, but occasionally it is necessary.”
Though this summer wasn’t the first time trade talks had come up about the forward, following his antics in Vancouver where he mocked kissing his Stanley Cup ring and hoisting the Cup over his head. Antics that came at a time when the forward was only registering 5 goals in a 34-game span.
Now the PBR line is on fire with Marchand leading the team in goals scored (5) and inching them further and further past the .500 mark to climb the standings. This season, through the first 14 games, he is on pace for a career-best season, one that Bruins fans have known he was capable of for some time now. That is, if he can keep the streaks coming. In recent years, Marchand has been known to have hot and cold streaks where he performs and then goes through spurts of lacking discipline and is unable to find the back of the net. For now, he’s hot and that’s what the Bruins need in the midst of the injury-plagued roster.
“I think it’s the same with a lot of players: They feel good about their game, and they start scoring,” said coach Claude Julien. “I think the confidence part is certainly there. He missed a couple of real good opportunities before he even scored. I guess he was just feeling it, and it was just a matter of time. It’s nice to see him not quit or get discouraged, and found a way to find a nice winning goal for us. His game’s really come along there in the last week.”