NEWARKBrad Marchand is finally back after sitting out a five-game suspension, and hes ready to provide an energetic lift to a team thats lost two of their first three games on a suddenly challenging road trip.
Im excited to be back in the lineup and back in the game again, said Marchand. The game happens so quickly. But before the games you think about how youre going to play and suspensions can creep into your mind a little bit.
With the five-game decision fresh in Marchands mind, hes also keeping a close eye on whats happening around the rest of the league. The Bs agitator saw the Nick Foligno hit on Dion Phaneuf that earned the Ottawa forward a two-minute clipping penalty during Tuesday nights Battle of Ontario. Foligno and Phaneuf dropped gloves shortly after the hit and there was no long-term injury on the play.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
But the hit in and of itself was similar to Marchands low-bridge on Salo, and Marchand failed to see any significant differences between the two clipping incidents. Its something hes unfortunately become an expert on over the last few weeks.
I saw it. It looked very similar to mine. We were on the same position on the ice. Foligno got him in the same area at the same time, and the puck was roughly in the same area, said Marchand. The only difference was that Phaneuf got up and he didnt get injured. Id be very surprised if the league doesnt look at that very closely.
The Sami Salo concussion and theahemlobbying by the aggrieved Vancouver hockey club with the league clearly came into play as factors for the lengthy five-game penalty from Brendan Shanahan.
But count Marchand among those disappointed if Foligno avoids justice for a similar hockey play. With Ottawa playing on the West Coast tonight and no hearing scheduled with the NHLs Player Safety Department, Marchand may start to think hes truly getting hosed by the leagues sheriff department.
Granted theres a world of difference between Salo and Phaneuf bearing down on a player with the puck, and Marchand is starting to develop a rap sheet with the league as a repeat offender. But clipping is clipping, isnt it?
It would seem a little biased if the league threw the book at me, and then other guys do it and they dont even look at it, said Marchand. They seem to have set a precedent that hits like that are going to be taken care of. Theyre going to make sure guys are going to get punished for them.
It might be a little unfair if they give me five games for a clip and a guy does it a couple of days later and gets nothing.
It would appear that its all part of the learning process for Marchand, and finding the difficult balance between a potential 30-goal scorer in the NHL and bringing impish energy to his team. A low-bridge hit that caused a concussion is clearly a suspension-worthy offense, but the severity of the five games would seem to speak to the NHL trying to mute his edgy play.
Thats not something Claude Julien wants to see despite his top left winger firmly ensconced on the NHL radar. Perhaps Marchand plays with a little more attitude on Thursday night now that it seems Foligno will get off for a similar clipping hit below the knee, but his coach doesnt want to see a gun-shy player.
I hope not I hope not, said Julien. He has got to play his game, but at the same time he has to learn from those situations. He seems to understand from what Brendan Shanahan has told him, so hell try and rectify that.
We still see those kinds of things happening: the other night Foligno and obviously Phaneuf. Is there a suspension there, or is there not? Why? Those are the areas that we have to clarify because those are the questions players keep coming up to coaches and asking them. Why is he suspended five games, and why is he not? There seems to be a really fine line there thats hard to clarify. Thats something hopefully well get better at as time passes by.