Brad Marchand has been a staple on Patrice Bergeron’s wing for the better part of the last half-decade. But when the Boston Bruins winger first broke into the NHL, his center was former B’s fourth-liner Gregory Campbell, who is not at all surprised with the impressive numbers Marchand has put up this season.
“I mean, for me, it was a treat to play with him,” Campbell, now with the Columbus Blue Jackets, told reporters Tuesday morning, via BostonBruins.com. “He offered a lot to our line at the time there. That was a long time ago.”
It was, and Marchand has come a long way since his days as an agitator on Boston’s Merlot Line. He entered Tuesday’s game against the Blue Jackets with a team-high 28 goals, including 13 over his previous 13 games.
Marchand, who already has matched his single-season high in goals, is on pace to finish with 42 this season, which would be the highest total by a Bruins player since 2002-03.
“He’s a dynamic player,” Campbell told reporters. “He’s got a lot of skill. He’s a competitive little guy, too, and he’s really strong. I don’t really even look at his size because you look at him off the ice and in the weight room and whatnot, he’s a really, really strong, strong guy. He works hard, he competes hard, and he’s got hands to follow it, too.
“When he plays with that competitive edge, he’s an annoying player to other teams, and that combination of skill and competitiveness is what you’re seeing now. He’s always been a goal-scorer — sometimes, you have little things go in more than others, and he’ll admit that himself. I talked to him about it. He’s having a really good year, and everything seems to be going in for him. But it’s no surprise. He’ll be one of the top scorers on that team year in and year out.”
Thumbnail photo via Bruce Fedyck/USA TODAY Sports Images
