Bruins fans know all about the role of the agitator. They cheer wildly for and adore Boston forward Brad Marchand, who has already made a pretty good career out of getting under the skin of the opposition.
The hockey world saw that two years ago when Marchand ran his mouth and toed the line against the Vancouver Canucks en route to the Bruins’s the Stanley Cup win. Isn’t that right, Daniel Sedin?
Unlike the Canucks, the Blackhawks should be able to go toe-to-toe with the Bruins when the Cup Final begins on Wednesday. Not only can the Hawks match the B’s in toughness and size (Boston and Chicago actually have identical average team height, while the Blackhawks have the edge by a single pound in average weight), but the Blackhawks should also do some agitating of their own.
That’s thanks in large part to Andrew Shaw. The 21-year-old has already developed the reputation of a player who will push that invisible line, even to the point of crossing it at times. Shaw has been a pest the entire postseason, and that comes after he made a name for himself (perhaps in the wrong way) a year earlier.
It’s safe to say that he’ll be getting his hands dirty in this series as well, which could turn into one of the most intriguing storylines of what should be a fantastic Stanley Cup Final.
