No, Brad Marchand’s jab wasn’t worthy of a suspension
Brad Marchand will not be suspended for his light jab in game 3. Let’s not make a big deal of the NHL making the right call here.
Brad Marchand threw a job at the back of Scott Harrington’s head nearing the final moments of Game 3 between the Boston Bruins and Columbus Blue Jackets. The move wasn’t exactly warranted, or clean, or desirable if you are a Marchand supporter, but it definitely didn’t warrant a suspension, either.
Full disclosure: I’m a Bruins. No one, including myself, liked the shot Marchand took. That doesn’t mean he should lose a game over it though. This play should have been called a penalty, but that’s all.
#NHL has reviewed #NHLBruins Brad Marchand incident at final buzzer on Tuesday. Expectation is that no supplemental discipline is coming from the league. #CBJ
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) May 1, 2019
Come on, Marchand https://t.co/HOP6mScuLa
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) May 1, 2019
Brad Marchand is an agitator. If you don’t think Scott Harrington will take things into his own hands in the next game, then you haven’t been watching hockey for very long. If Harrington does, Marchand will step up and deal with it, just like he has in any similar situation he’s gotten himself involved in. He answers the call when he needs to and he likely knew that this move was going to bring him some attention in Game 4. If anything, the guy elevates his game when he’s getting some extra shade thrown his way.
Ask yourself if you’d call this a suspension if the roles were reversed and Scott Harrington did it to Marchand?
It was unnecessary, it was certainly greasy, and it was a bad look. Especially given Marchand’s history with controversial hits on the ice, which is the main reason so many are calling for a suspension.
But frustrations boil over in the playoffs and both teams get a little heated. TSN’s hockey insider Darren Dreger explains it perfectly:
As @Aportzline reported, no discipline will be handed out to Boston's Brad Marchand. I will buck the media majority. The punch, as greasy as it was, wasn't forceful enough to warrant supplemental discipline. Should have been a penalty.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) May 1, 2019
Harrington will be fine. Marchand will be fine. This entire situation doesn’t warrant the attention it’s been getting in the media today. Let it go. If Scott Harrington is upset, he’ll have three or four more opportunities to deal with this himself.
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The Bruins and Blue Jackets face off for Game 4 on Thursday, May 2 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Brad Marchand will be playing.