Brad Marchand was a 100-point guy in the regular season for the Boston Bruins. However, this post-season, he has been rather inconsistent with his performances, not least in the Stanley Cup Final.
You only need look at the fact that Brad Marchand went four games without scoring for the Boston Bruins between Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Game 4 against the Columbus Blue Jackets to know that something has been a little off. Even that Game 4 point was a powerplay assist; this Stanley Cup Final series hasn’t been that much better either.
It all seems to scream out that Brad Marchand hasn’t quite been playing at full-strength. The only time during these Stanley Cup Playoffs that we’ve truly seen him take control in a game was Game 6 of the opening round series with Toronto, where his 2 goals and assist marked a three-point night that all but confirmed the Maple Leafs’ post-season exit.
Beyond that, he has had a couple of good nights; one three-point night in the series with Columbus, another couple of two-point nights against the Carolina Hurricanes, but overall something has been lacking.
More from Bruins News
- Bruins release Prospects Challenge roster, schedule Tuesday
- Bruins bringing back familiar forward on tryout contract
- The Bruins should take a look at these four free agents
- NHL Network lists Ullmark as sixth-best goalie in the league
- The Lasting Legacy of David Krejci
This has been amplified further in the Stanley Cup Final series with the St. Louis Blues. So often, Brad Marchand has looked for his Boston Bruins teammates rather than shooting the puck, much to the chagrin of the fan base.
You have to wonder whether he is hiding a much nastier injury than has ever been mentioned. He did leave the ice in the scrimmage the team held to maintain their fitness in their 10 days of down-time leading into the Final.
It was down-played at the time, but the pictures showed Brad Marchand on the bench, being seen to by a Boston Bruins trainer due to what looked like a wrist ailment. Perhaps this explains why he’s suddenly adopted a pass-first approach?
Even his usual antics have been parred back this post-season; has the NHL cracked down on him? Has he matured as a player? Or is the same Brad Marchand in there, but choosing to just get on with the task at hand – winning the Stanley Cup?
The good news for Boston Bruins fans is that in Game 6, he grabbed a goal and an assist and finally picked up a positive plus/minus score against the St. Louis Blues. These are all positive signs heading into the biggest game of the season. Let’s hope that he can tally another night of similar statistics!
Rest assured, Boston Bruins fans the world over will be looking to Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Tuukka Rask and Zdeno Chara, among others to show this current group exactly how you win in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Whether he is playing injured or not; Brad Marchand will be looking to show similar warrior spirit to his team captain, Zdeno Chara tonight.