Marchand appealed the suspension, stating that Jarry was well protected and that it was never his intent to injure the netminder. Ultimately, his appeal was unsuccessful and Marchand was forced to serve the full 6-game suspension.
The 33-year-old is now eligible to return to the Bruins' lineup and had the chance to speak with the media ahead of Thursday night's tilt in Seattle with the Kraken. During his availability, he threw appeared to throw a bit of a subtle jab at the league, vowing to play clean from here on out.
Marchand is a player who thrives by playing on the edge. That said, the Halifax, NS native does have a ton of skill and is perfectly capable of being effective and productive without wreaking havoc on the opposition. He has gone stretches where he has played very clean hockey, but I have a hard time believing that he won't revert to his old ways as we approach the most important time of the year.
With playoff hockey right around the corner, the Bruins are going to need the feisty agitator to be himself if they hope to have a chance to do some damage in the powerhouse Atlantic Division.
POLL | ||
24 FEVRIER | 188 ANSWERS Marchand throws some shade at the NHL after serving 6-game suspension Do you think Marchand will be able to behave himself in the final 30-plus games of the season? | ||
Absolutely | 31 | 16.5 % |
Not a chance | 118 | 62.8 % |
I'd be surprised if he made it one week | 39 | 20.7 % |
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