Boston Bruins Forward Brad Marchand Suspended Two Games Following Spearing Incident
The NHL has suspended Brad Marchand for the remainder of the regular season. After spearing Tampa Bay Lightning defender Jake Dotchin in the first period of Tuesday’s game, Marchand was ejected and missed arguably the Bruins most important game of the year. With a playoff spot on the line, the Bruins managed to muscle through the game to victory – but the Marchand incident simply wasn’t going away.
Marchand has a long history of transgressions on his NHL resume. From spearing to slewfooting and everything in between, Marchand has built a name for himself as one of the premier pests in the NHL. Unfortunately, his antics are getting old very quickly. Though this foul play wouldn’t be acceptable under any circumstances, it’s worse when considering the fact that Marchand has scored 39 goals and 85 points this season and is one of the elite talents in the NHL. His defensive awareness is just as good as his offensive ability, and for that, this most recent lapse of judgment came at the worst time for the Bruins. Still, it could have been worse.
Playoffs and More
Brad Marchand will not reach the 40-goals mark this season. That much is certain. Still, he and the Bruins should be counting their lucky stars that the suspension came after the team clinched their playoff spot. It’s also important to note that Marchand’s two-game suspension will also end in the regular season, meaning the 5-foot-9 forward will suit up in the Bruins’ first playoff game.
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Marchand is a phenomenal talent. There is no denying his ability to take over a game and to make other teams feel at a loss for how to contain him. His history of doing so in the NHL as well as while representing Canada at the World Championships and the World Cup of Hockey speaks for itself. It’s for that reason that Marchand needs to stop taking these ill-advised penalties.
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For the Bruins, the suspension stings, but isn’t the worst case scenario. The team will reconvene for the first time since their playoff-clinching win against the Lightning on Thursday when the Bruins take on the Ottawa Senators. For the Senators, one point will clinch them a playoff spot. Last season, the Bruins failed to make the playoffs due to a loss to the Senators late in the season – something the team won’t soon be forgetting as they try to repay the favor.