From his dominance on the Boston Bruins’ top line to making opponents look silly before netting a goal, Brad Marchand certainly has become one of the NHL’s elite players.
His skills were particularly apparent against the San Jose Sharks in Boston’s 4-1 win Feb. 26 when Marchand absolutely undressed Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson before he backhanded the puck into the net. It was a slick move to get Karlsson’s stick out of the way so Marchand could get the puck, and his offensive skills have earned him praise from his teammates and coach.
“When he knocks it out of the way, it pretty much makes it impossible for you to win that battle,” defenseman Brandon Carlo said, via The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa. “He’s really good at that. I don’t even know how he thinks that fast to be able to recognize, ‘Oh, I’m going to lift his stick to get the puck first.’ It’s beyond me. I don’t have that in my regimen. It’s great to see him do that. I’d say he’s one of the few players in the league that will make moves like that.”
Bruce Cassidy said defenders can prepare for a move much like the one Marchand put on Karlsson, but it doesn’t make it any easier to stop him.
“I like it,” Cassidy said of the move. “Even though players know it’s coming — not every player, but if you watch him enough, you see it — it’s still tough to defend.”
Marchand leads the B’s with 76 points (27 goals, 49 assists) and looks to continue to posterize his opponents Tuesday when his team welcomes the Carolina Hurricanes to TD Garden.
