This isn’t a good look for Brad Marchand.
Marchand was given a match penalty at the end of Boston’s game against Pittsburgh on Tuesday. The Penguins and Bruins played a heated affair at TD Garden in Beantown.
As things winded down at TD Garden in the third period, Marchand lost his cool on goalie Tristan Jarry. Marchand punched Jarry in the head before swinging his stick at him.
It’s unclear what exactly triggered Marchand, but reports suggest Jarry said something to Marchand right before the punch. There was also an incident between Marchand and Jarry at the end of the second period.
Here’s Marchand’s incident with Jarry at the end of the game:
Video:
This isn't good from Marchand in the final minute of the game. Punch + stick swing on Jarry pic.twitter.com/yrq9Ek8o4i
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) February 9, 2022
NESN commentator Jack Edwards and Andy Brickley suggested that given Marchand’s history, the Bruins may be without him for quite some time. Marchand leads the Bruins in scoring with 21 goals and 49 points in 39 games.
According to the official NHL gamesheet, Marchand was given a five-minute major penalty for intent to injure against Jarry, plus a minor penalty for roughing. Marchand’s match penalty warrants an automatic review by the NHL.
Marchand wasn’t available post-game, but his coach Bruce Cassidy weighed in on the incident with Jarry. “Gotta have better discipline at the end of the day. Brad’s a leader on this team and he’s gotta control his emotions”, said Cassidy.
Marchand has been suspended a whooping seven times in his NHL career, so he isn’t going to be given the benefit of the doubt. Marchand’s a repeat offender and only two years removed from his last suspension. In addition to the missed games, Marchand has also forfeited almost $1M in salary due to his actions.
Marchand will almost certainly be receiving supplemental discipline Wednesday. This was a predatory punch on Jarry that could’ve done damage to the Pens netminder. Even if Jarry said something to Marchand, this type of response isn’t justified.
Many fans in Boston have been saying Marchand has cleaned up his act this season. Judging by his actions against Jarry and the Penguins on Tuesday, he’s still got a long ways to go.
