It was the jab heard around the world.
At the conclusion of the Boston Bruins’ 2-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup playoffs second round, Bruins winger Brad Marchand approached an unsuspecting Scott Harrington and delivered a punch to the back of the Blue Jackets defenseman’s head.
It was not a hard punch by any stretch, but nevertheless, it caused a bit of a stir. Marchand won’t be disciplined for the hit, but he and commissioner Gary Bettman both have offered their takes on the jab.
Harrington also delivered a response, and a measured one at that. The 26-year-old did not seem particularly bothered by the play, even cracking a joke that that’s why they wear helmets.
Here are his full comments.
Scott Harrington addresses Brad Marchand's punch to his head in Game 3.#CBJ | #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/85aOCpk6is
— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) May 1, 2019
The Jackets indicated that they don’t plan to score-settle with Marchand, but we’ll see if that actually proves to be the case when the puck drops in Game 4 on Thursday.