The 5-foot-9, 22-year-old was expected to be a hard-nosed fourth-liner for the Bruins this year. Instead, he's turned in a campaign that will get him some serious looks as a Calder Trophy candidate and, as a result, the 7th Player Award Presented by Central Auto Group in Norwood and Raynham.
The award is meant for the Bruins player who's gone above and beyond expectations, and it'd be hard to find anyone who fits that description more than Marchand.
When he entered the season, he was 20 games into his NHL career and had yet to score his first goal. He took care of that milestone on Nov. 3, and since then, he's been on an absolute roll.
Through 59 games, he scored 19 goals and added 15 assists. His four shorthanded goals have him ranked among the league leaders, as does his plus-23 rating. Over the course of the year, he's outshined some of the big names in the 2011 rookie class, and he'll likely be a final candidate for the Calder.
One thing that's definite, though, is that he's the favorite to win the Bruins 7th Player Award.
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Voting ends March 16.
