Brad Marchand will be sitting out the next five games after receiving a suspension from Brendan Shanahan and the NHL's department of player safety.
That means that beginning Tuesday night, the Bruins will have to find a way to cope without their third-leading scorer for a little while. Marchand is tied for the team lead in goals with 16 and seemed to be coming into his own offensively during the first half of this season. His 16-16-32 point totals trail only linemates Tyler Seguin and Patrice Bergeron for the B's.
However, his impact may be most felt when he's not scoring goals, and instead providing energy with his gritty style of play or his incessant badgering of opposing players.
The Bruins, to their credit, have seamlessly adapted to life without "The Brat" in their lineup before. When Marchand missed last Thursday's game with the flu, the B's scored nine goals against the Flames and didn't appear to miss a beat. Zach Hamill's play of late has impressed, and the young winger should get another handful of chances to show his mettle with Marchand out.
No matter what, it goes without saying that the Bruins are a better team when Marchand is in the lineup. For these next five games, however, it's up for debate what they'll miss most when playing without him.
Which part of Brad Marchand's game will the Bruins miss most during his suspension?
