Maple Leafs Player Gives Advice To Toronto About Brad Marchand

Brad Marchand made life hell for the Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.

Marchand’s presence was felt on Boston’s first goal at Scotiabank Arena, where his skirmish with ex-teammate Tyler Bertuzzi opened the door for Trent Frederic’s game-tying tally. The Bruins captain also matched the physicality with skill, as his two third-period goals were the final nails in Toronto’s coffin.

The Leafs will try to make Marchand less of an offensive threat Saturday night when they attempt to even their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series with the B’s. But as Matthew Knies explained after Game 3, limiting an impact on the score sheet isn’t the only way Toronto needs to subdue Marchand.

“He wants to get under our skin and influence the refs, so I think we’ve just got to be composed and not kind of get into that (expletive),” Knies told reporters, per The Athletic’s Chris Johnston. “Just play hard and make him (less) effective.”

Sheldon Keefe offered similar sentiments about Marchand after the game. The Maple Leafs head coach argued the Bruins star receives special treatment from the referees, which was a shaky claim considering Marchand didn’t draw a single penalty Wednesday.

Nonetheless, Marchand clearly will be a point of emphasis for the Maple Leafs in Game 4. If the two-time All-Star gets the best of Toronto again, Keefe’s side could be fighting for its life when the best-of-seven series returns to Boston.