BOSTON — What would a Bruins-Canadiens playoff game be without a little off-ice drama to go with the intensity of the action on the ice?
We're not likely to find out, at least not this postseason.
The latest incident came during Saturday's Game 5 at the Garden, when injured Montreal forward Max Pacioretty decided to have some fun chirping Bruins agitator Brad Marchand on Twitter. Pacioretty tweeted that "this game is longer than marchands [sic] nose."
And that statement was made long before anyone knew the contest would drag into two overtimes.
Pacioretty later apologized, again via Twitter with a post reading: "I was trying to to [sic] be funny earlier, and it didn't work. I apologize to marchand and won't try to be funny that way in the future."
But Marchand got the last laugh anyway, scoring his first career playoff goal in the third period of the Bruins' eventual 2-1 victory.
"Yeah, I walked in between one of the periods and saw it on TV," Marchand said after the game when asked if he was aware of Pacioretty's comment. "But stuff happens."
Not one who's ever shy about a little chirping himself, Marchand didn't appear particularly upset with the comment, but did take a little extra pleasure out of scoring soon after Pacioretty's insult.
"Yeah, I didn't know it," Marchand said. "I scored quickly after but it's always nice to just kind of rub it in a little."
Marchand will likely have a thing or two to say to Pacioretty the next time they meet up on the ice, but don't expect the Bruins rookie to take his chirping to the internet.
"No, Twitter is not for me," Marchand said. "I'll try and stay away from that stuff, [it would] get me in trouble."
Marchand gets in enough trouble as it is. He was in the middle of a number of verbal exchanges and scrums in Saturday's game, including one that escalated into a wrestling match and even a few punches with Montreal forward Tomas Plekanec.
"I was trying to stay away from it a bit there at first, but Plekanec kind of got in my face there and I wasn't too happy about it," Marchand said of the incident in the final minute of the second period, which earned both players roughing minors. "I tried to throw a punch, but I don't think I got him."
