Brad Marchand largely was on his best behavior in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. One game into the second round, however, and it seems like the Boston Bruins agitator might be up to his old tricks.
Marchand seemed far more willing to get a little nasty Thursday night during the Bruins’ 3-2 overtime win over the Columbus Blue Jackets in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The All-Star winger could be seen chirping at times after the whistle, but his most notable interaction came with CBJ winger Cam Atkinson in OT.
As the two players jockeyed for position on a neutral-zone faceoff, Marchand stepped on Atkinson’s stick blade. The blade broke, and Atkinson had to go to the bench to retrieve a new twig. As he skated back to the faceoff circle, he and Marchand had some words and some contact for good measure.
Atkinson addressed the slight skirmish after the game.
Cam Atkinson said Brad Marchand stepped on his stick in OT, which is why it broke. He said that has never happened to him before. “Hey, if that’s how he wants to roll,” Atkinson said. “I don’t know, that’s who he is. I’m not going to let it get to me. It is what it is.”
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) April 26, 2019
It’s not a huge deal, but the Bruins probably don’t mind the Blue Jackets worrying about anything other than trying to win the series. Of course, Marchand has to be sure to not step over the line, especially in a situation like this one where a penalty in overtime could have been disastrous.
Regardless, Game 1 had a far more physical feel than anything we saw in the Bruins’ first-round series vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs. Neither Boston nor Columbus shies away from that brand of hockey, which means we might be in for a nasty series between two tough teams. Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday night in Boston at 8 p.m. ET.
