Brad Marchand Surprisingly Reliable On Struggling Bruins

The Boston Bruins becoming more reliant on play of Brad Marchand and his line

Almost any other team in the NHL considers a playoff spot to be a good thing — and with the Metropolitan Division failing to boast more than two good teams, that second Wild Card spot is currently solely held by the Boston Bruins.

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When half your roster is locked into high-payroll, limited-trade contracts, though, a Wild Card spot simply isn’t good enough. Last year’s regular season champions were expecting better than fifth in the Atlantic Division — and they’re just not seeing it.

Part of this has to do with significant injuries to two of the team’s top-line players; Boston has seen very little of number one center David Krejci since the season began, and captain Zdeno Chara is still out with a knee injury. Adding these two back into the lineup could mean the world for the team… but in their absence, another player has stepped up.

During the off-season, many assumed the Bruins would part ways with left winger Brad Marchand via a trade for someone a little bit cheaper and more reliable; after over twenty games without a single goal, the forward was in the middle of yet another of his infamous cold streaks. Combined with his hot temper on the ice and antagonistic character — which made him a clear target for referee scrutiny — it seemed that the team couldn’t afford the risk he posed any longer.

GM Peter Chiarelli kept the forward around, though, and it seems to be paying dividends.

As of December 5th, Brad Marchand — who went goalless, but not pointless, Thursday night — leads the Bruins in goals scored on the season with six. He’s got twelve points overall, looking to improve upon his record from last year (25G, 28A, 53P).

He’s also providing additional benefits on the ice — his well-established line, which boasts sophomore winger Reilly Smith and alternate captain Patrice Bergeron, combines for thirty-eight points, tied with the team’s third line of Soderberg-Kelly-Eriksson. All three players recorded two points apiece last night (Smith with 2G, Marchand and Bergeron each with 2A), and they’ve scored four game-winners between them. For a team bent on losing, that’s a pretty decent statistic.

The biggest problem moving forward, of course, will be to see how sustainable this is for the ‘little ball of hate’ — but for now, Boston should count their blessings with this pint-sized agitator.

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