Bruins’ Marchand makes his case to avoid suspension
Marchand/By S. Bradley
The Bruins were off from practice today, but the players participated in the team’s “Slice the Ice” charity event at the TD Garden.
For the first time since he was ejected from the Bruins’ loss to Vancouver yesterday, Marchand addressed the media and spoke about the clip on Canucks defenseman Sami Salo that resulted in a game misconduct in the second period.
“The puck was going around the boards and I went to pick it up and was kind of looking over my shoulder,” Marchand told the media in Boston. “I saw Salo coming in and I just kind of went down.
“It was unfortunate he got injured. I did go under him, but I felt the base contact was at about his hip point and that’s usually a pretty legal hit from what I’ve seen in the past.”
Marchand is scheduled to have a hearing with NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan Monday. Last season, Marchand earned a two-game suspension for a hit from behind on Columbus’ R.J. Umberberg. Earlier this season, Marchand was fined $2,500 for slew-footing Pittsburgh’s Matt Niskanen. So obviously he’s a repeat offender and should be looking at at least a couple games out of the lineup. There was no update on the severity of Salo’s injury as of after Saturday’s game, but he did not return to the game after the hit.
Head coach Claude Julien after Boston’s loss tried to spin the play as Marchand trying to protect himself from a potential blow to the head.
“We all have our opinions on what is going on with the game and the hits and everything else. All I’m going to tell you is that I always told my players that they need to protect themselves,” said Julien. “The last thing I want my players to do is get hit and then end up with a concussion, and they have to protect themselves. Whether it’s the right way or the wrong way, it’ll depend on how the league looks at it. I’d rather have a guy take a two-minute penalty than turn his back to the play, stand up straight, and then get his face knocked into the glass and be out for maybe the rest of the year with a concussion, or maybe end his career like [Marc] Savard.
“So I think we have to really look at those kinds of things. In my opinion, if guys start protecting themselves the way Marchand did, maybe guys will stop taking runs at other guys because that’s the consequences you end up paying for taking runs at guys, too. Who knows where we’re going to go with this? I know we’re all trying hard to fix that part of the game, but it’s still there, and it’s still not fixed.”
The Bruins played without Marchand against Calgary and won 9-0 Thursday. So while he’s a key player, they should be able to get by without him for a couple nights.
Cloudbuster – bustin’ the clowns. Your name should be Clownbuster, oh buster of clowns!
Right on Brutha!
Sorry, Roy Thomas, but if you’ve ACTUALLY been a Bruins fan for over 50 years (and you’re not just some 14 year old Canuck fan trolling), there is no freddy funkin’ way that you would be disgusted to the point of no return by this play -as suspension worthy as it may or may not be- and/or the Bruins style over the last few seasons. Obviously, we’re talking about two different sports and two different franchises with drastically different histories. Last I checked, pro hockey had a lot more rough play back in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s; back when defencemen could cross check and slash forwards in the paint, guys could actually dish out now-taboo hip checks without a second guess, fighting was much more accepted and frequent, and when it was a player’s job to either beat an icing call or try to make the defender pay a price on the touch up. And have I missed something, or were the Bruins of the late ’70s a tad more rough around the edges than today’s incarnation? Stan Jonathan, Terry O’Reilly, Mike Milbury anyone?
RD – Sorry, but you are totally biased. I tracked that clip back and forth. The contact is made just below Salo’s butt and then because he turned his back, he elevated over Marchand. If he hit Salo in the knee – he would have flown over the top of him. He did not – he rolled over him b/c the hit was just below his center of gravity – his butt.
I think we can all agree that Marchand plays like a little rat-bastard in the mold of Linesman, but that play is simply not a clip. If you want to see a classic clip – look at the one I provided that is side by side (Marchand taking a hit vs. him handing one out to Salo). The one he received is on the knee – on the side of his knee. That is a clip.
He’s suspended. Fine, but the reffing is Fing inconsistent and obviously we are seeing the league-wide whining take effect. Be warned, if this is the pattern, the diving that occurs north of the border on the east and west coast is next – never mind all the stick work to the nuts the Canucks are so fond of.
Hey Bojangles,
I’m looking at the clip at 02 and I’m seeing a right shoulder right into the side/back of Salo’s knee. I mean, look how low that is…
As for the other clips, I’ll always take the position that it goes both ways. If they seem to be equal, then the likely deserve the same punishment.
[...] Julien, on the other hand, went a bit too far. In my opinion, if guys start protecting themselves the way Marchand did, maybe guys will stop [...]
Most of my 65 years, I have been a Bruins fan. But not any more. It’s not just Marchand’s hit, it’s the homers that defend it. Why bother with pucks and nets at all? Just throw a handful of goons in different sweaters onto the ice with padding and helmets and sticks and let them beat the sh*t out of each other. Stanley Cup goes to the last sweater standing. I swear to God, Bobby Orr would never have done that. Even Big Frank, who was damned dangerous, would never do that. No, it takes a cheap shot artist on steroids to launch mouth-breathing, marginally human fans of mayhem… not hockey… onto a knuckle-dragging bandwagon that only serves to advertise their ignorance.
Youngbuck – I think you’re right in that respect. He must have known.
I love the hip check, but when this move is used in an aggressive manner (for which the Nucks are probably the worst) its a serious problem. It’ll be the next to go after the open ice head shot.
let me get this straight-Brad Marchand’s defence is that he had to protect himself from Sami Salo!!??, who was taking a run at him(the big meanie). This might fly in Boston where logic and reason no longer form part of the discussion, but come on. So far this year Salo has a grand total of 4 minor penalties. As far as I can remember he’s never run anyone in his life. -Marchand claiming self defence is just stupid. He’s a dirty little player and hurts people out of sheer viciousness. When Hilliard Graves, and later Matt Cooke, two similarly nasty little jerks, played for the Canucks, I didn’t like them and neither did any self respecting Canuck fan. You people in Boston have been treated to some great hockey and hockey players over the years and you should know the difference. Marchand is a vicious little piece of Dung. His parents must be mortified.
Too say Marchand didn’t know it was Salo or thought someone was taking a run at him sounds ridiculous if you watch the longer clip and Marchands antics leading up to the incident.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wGD5DbljtfE
There is multiple contact between the two leading up to the hit, Marchand was clearly trying to mess with Salo
Wait – this is the best clip yet.
How does one spell hypocrite?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10scJ5fWpeE
Double Dammit. I’m with you RD – forgot the clip.
Stop this at :02
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GN2cFZ1oMA&feature=related
Jim – exactly what I’m talking about, with your ‘You have no idea what you’re talking about’ BS. Take a chill pill big fella.
RD – Stop this video at :02 and you tell me where Marchand connects with Salo. Salo has turned his back and takes Marchand’s lower back to his butt. That’s hardly the first line of the rule (the one you conveniently forgot to quote) “Clipping is the act of throwing the body, from any direction, across or below the knees of an opponent.”
Try this one on for a clip – Mr. Ballard of the Canucks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhrtvlVlVJQ
Anyone? Now can we all calm down about this?
Since we have so many expert Refs posting here. Tell me again how it is that Vancouver was awarded a 5 on 3 after the melee on Thorton?
let’s face it…the Canucks are the dirtiest ,whiniest,chirpiest and most hated team in the league.They wish they played the game as rough and tough as the Bruins but they can’t,so what they do is add diving to their m.o..As far as Salo goes,he pulls a groin muscle ever time he sneezes….concussion?…he probable got that coughing..
damnit. I’m trying to sound like I know what I’m talking about but I got the wrong shoulder. It was his right shoulder.
bojangles you have no idea what you’re talking about. you are a homer cheering for laundry right here. not only did he not play the puck he went out of his way to go low. if he falls flat on the ice you can get away with saying he’s protecting himself, avoiding contact etc. but the fact is he drops to a knee and makes sure he contacts salo low. cowardly, dirty play. period.
Bojangles,
I quoted the rule below from NHL.com. Marchand lowered his left shoulder directly into Salo’s knee. I even showed you the clip down to the second as to when it happened. This is an impasse that will likely remain that way. You’ll see it your way and the tape will show it as it actually occurred.
Bringing up Rome is creating a strawman. Nobody today said Rome’s hit was good and nobody said Marchand should be suspended because Rome was suspended. Let’s try to stay on topic.
In fact, I’m not convinced it deserves a suspension. I’m just convinced by the clear video replay and the rules from NHL.com that this is a penalty and can’t have players low-bridging and back body dropping people in the NHL.
Sorry – I just think there is a ton of over reaction, hysteria and man drama going on. I read the rule for clipping “Clipping is the act of throwing the body, from any direction, across or below the knees of an opponent.” and can’t for the life of me find where Marchand is ‘throwing his body’ or moving ‘across’ or even ‘below the knees’.
And I don’t know why people are trying to justify anything based on Salo’s past reputation. Marchand doesn’t know who’s coming, nor does he take a second to decide if it’s Weiss or Salo. He sees a big Mutha bearing down and he ducks. He ducks! He just played the puck and is standing still along the boards. Sees an approaching player and tries to avoid being creamed.
All you Canucks fans were trying to defend Rome last year for friggin’ head hunting. Marchand is not the aggressor. He is not trying to make contact, he’s trying to avoid it.
The call of clipping is for an aggressive move with intent to injure. Marchand ducks here and hits Salo mid-thigh.
I don’t understand all the hysteria.
BigJim,
You make a good point. If the excuse is self defence, you’re going to see spears and god knows what next. Just square up and take the hit. Going low like that is probably more dangerous for both players anyway because Marchand’s head is totally exposed to severe contact.
@David
I liked your post. You seem to be able to see this play pretty much for what it was. The point of contact was too low.
As for what Marchand was penalized, it comes down to the rulebook. I only posted the beginning of rule 44.
44.2 Minor Penalty – A player who commits these fouls will be assessed a minor penalty for “clipping.”
44.3 Major Penalty – If an injury occurs as a result of this “clipping” check, the player must be assessed a major penalty (see 44.5).
The refs interpreted Salo as injured so Marchand automatically went into 44.3. Once you get classified as major, you automatically get a game misconduct (44.5).
As for suspension, there’s no clear rule about that. Commish’ disgression (which has worked well for Boston this year so far). Perhaps Marchands past transgressions will come back to haunt him though? Who knows with this commissioner…
Marchand is a cheapshot artist… and everybody knows it. I agree with coach Vigneault, someone will take care of him sooner or later… and it’ll be fine with me. If Bruins’ fans really respect the game, they should be honnest enough to admit that Marchand is a dirty player. With what happened to Bergeron and Savard, you would think that Bruins’ fans, of all people, would be smarter than that. I know, I know, we’re talking about a team who reveres such players as Thornton and Campbell, but still..
I love the fanboy posters on here who have never set foot on the ice trying to justify an unjustifiable play. that play was a disgrace. some have asked what you do in that situation: you take the hit to make the play and chip the puck out of your zone. You dont target a guy’s knees. i’m sure every last one of you jokers wanted ulf samuelson run out of the league for low hits.
I’m a fan of hip checks. I really like it when Marchand makes good hip checks, although he gets penalized for them from time to time. This was too low to be a hip check, so the refs got the call right, and it was a hard chippy game. I’ll live with the major penalty and game misconduct on the play, since clipping is dangerous by its very nature. I also agree that Marchand didn’t have intent to injure, he doesn’t go out and try to hurt people, but he got down too low, as is the danger of hip checking. I saw Salo going in for regular contact and Marchand tried to reverse the roles. That wasn’t a run at Marchand, that was trying to make a reasonable hit. Marchand will probably get three game, mostly because of how dangerous it was and the fact that Salo was injured (It’s B.S. that severity of injury is taken into account.) I don’t think that’s what he deserves, but that is also probably bias talking.
I do not think Marchand was trying to hurt anyone but protecting himself. I agree with a two minutes for interference and that´s it.
I hope he doesn´t get another suspension. He has been playing really good.
Once and again The Arrogant Vancouver Canucks trying to inflate things.
btw, where is the basis of the argument that Salo was running Marchand? I’ve watched Salo for years and he isn’t a physical player and is basically made of peanut brittle.
He landed a hard check on Marchand seconds earlier and Marchand simply took out his knees on the second attempt.
Bruins land hard checks all the time, why do you guys conclude that Salo of all people is running Marchand?
In looking at it again, the MOST i see is a 2 min penatly for interference.
The Bruins seem to struggle the most in games where there is a lot of special teams play and little five on five. I am sure the Canucks game plan was to try and get Boston into the box as much as possible. Worked pretty well.
The Marchand hit was questionable at best, if he had no history with suspensions; then I would say a one gamer would be headed his way. However, due to his repeat offender status, it will most likely be more. He has the right to go low, but not that low. Dirty hit, but Salo did bring it on himself trying to run Marchand.
The Canucks proved once again they are willing to sacrifice their pride and play like a bunch of whiny girls in order to win. Their only chance in beating the Bruins is to do exactly what Weise did to Thornton, try to piss off the Bruins and draw them into bad penalties. It sucks, and it makes everyone hate the Canucks but when you have a team full of gutless pukes, you play to that strength. I mean, has anyone ever seen a player (known for fighting) do what Weise did before?
However, the biggest wimp on Vancouver has to be J. Hansen. The guy green lights Ference out of nowhere and then sticks Mcquaid in the nuts after the game 7 was basically over and then won’t fight anyone this past Saturday including Mcquaid who was locked up with him at one point. At least when Marchand low ducks someone he will stand up and defend himself. The Sedin’s are superstars (pathetic ones) and don’t really have to fight, but depth players like Hansen should have to be held accountable.
The Lucic thing to me is incredible. There is a penalty called “Third man in” which could have been applied to the four or five Canucks players that were piling on top of Thornton, clearly throwing punches, just watch that loser Lapierre. The penalty for third man in, last time I checked, was a game misconduct. So how in hell did the Bruins end up being the only team to lose a player? Refs lost control of that game early by making moronic calls like the Lucic play, did they really not see six guys mugging one player, or could they not see Thornton because there were too many white jerseys on top of him?
Not so sure that Marchand was trying to hit Salo’s knees. Pretty sure Marchand was attempting to dump Salo on his rear. He didnt attack Salo’s knees. Weak penalty call, weak game misconduct and any further penatly will be even more weak.
Bojangles, since we’re talking rules…
Clipping as defined NHL rule book seems to accurately describe the body check to me:
–A player may not deliver a check in a “clipping” manner, nor lower his own body position to deliver a check on or below an opponent’s knees.
An illegal “low hit” is a check that is delivered by a player or goalkeeper who may or may not have both skates on the ice, with his sole intent to check the opponent in the area of his knees. A player may not lower his body position to deliver a check to an opponent’s knees.–
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGD5DbljtfE
Just watch the hit. At 0:58, he lowered his shoulder directly into his knee. This is precisely the threshold the rule book is looking for.
Marchand doesn’t have to hit people like this. No other Bruin resorts to this type of thing. Usually, the Bruins are delivering the heavy hits. If we flipped the coin and had guys taking out Horton’s knees, you’d be pretty upset. In fact, you’d probably suggest the guy sack up and take the hit like a man.
A lot of you guys are calling this hit outside of the rules and I respect you guys for that. This one seems like an obvious penalty to me.
Ease up BigJim – Marchand did not try to cut anyone’s knees or injure anyone. When you are his size and a guy the size of Salo is bearing down – you suddenly see him from the corner of your eye… what is the reaction. You are not going to be able to get high enough to check him. Your head is in direct line with the guy’s shoulder. You duck. This was not Marchand being the aggressor. If you read the rule, I’m not even sure it’s officially a clip if you read the rule.
A lot of over reaction to this in my opinion.
Will he get suspended. I bet he will, but he was clearly not the aggressor on the play – simply reacting to it.
There is no justification for the Marchand play. That was dirty. He’s a dirty player. I’m a Bruins guy but Marchand needs to smarten up. His dumb penalties continue to cost the Bruins. If he’s on a different team everyone in Boston would be outraged over that play. Got to be consistent. He dropped to a knew and went for Salo’s knees. This is NOT EVEN CLOSE to a hip check. Stop being a fan boy and call a spade a spade.
What I don’t understand is why more folks aren’t upset with how the refs handled the melee in front of the Canucks bench. They missed the Lucic call completely (don’t know why they didn’t work off of the replay – maybe it’s only available for goals), but I just don’t understand why no one is calling them on their judgement. 6 Canucks players on Thorton? No pentalties? Roughing on Horton? He came in to break up the scrum and immediately went to the side of the action with Weiss. Roughing for Lucic? Why Horton and Looch and not the 5 Canucks that jumped in and or held Thorton?
I really like how CJ handled questions related to Marchand, and I think he’s dead on. Not even sure I understand how it was called Clipping based on reviewing the replay and rereading the rule.
Anyway… the Bs will deal with what ever comes down, and we all know they’ll be there come May and June.
I have no opinion on whether Marchand needs to be suspended. You don’t often see guys go into a hit that low because a accidental contact of the knee to the head would give Marchand a few unplanned weeks off. It’s dangerous for both guys.
Still, when you bring your shoulder that low, the effect looks as severe as a knee on knee hit and Salo sure as hell went for a flight.
To me it’s a penalty but suspension is tricky because there’s a fine line between the Marchand hit and a legitimate hip check.
The bruins may have some “thugs” on the team but I’m fine with that. Aren’t the Broad Street Bullies legendary for being just that and winning…which the bruins do. I have never seen a more gutless play than when weise was trying to get Thorton a penalty by getting him to drop the gloves and then skated away. Hats off to the refs there for giving them the 2. As Jack and Brick said during the game that is why every other team in the NHL hates the Canucks and why even Canadien people didn’t want to see them win the cup.
The penalty was a joke, the game misconduct was a joke, a fine will be a joke and a suspension will be a joke.
Penalties, fines and suspensions should not relate to the severity of an injury. If a guy swings his stick and hits someone in the head and that player is perfectly fine for some reason and another player does the same thing and sends the guy into a coma…well…the suspension should be the same. In that instance, like 25 games.
Here, Marchand ducked his upper body and flipped the guy over his hip. I am actually confident that Shanahan wont make a mockery of this. He has done a good job so far.
The Bruins play on the edge. Get used to it. If you don’t like it then get your team out of the way. At least they man up to their beefs. Look at the way Vancouver handles itself. That team is full of pukes, starting with its head coach who is a joke and couldn’t coach his way out of a wet paper bag.
Well said andrew!
I fear that one of the few things I have come to hate more than the Canucks are the Bruins and the way that it seems that Bruins’ fans insist that plays like this are defensible in any way. Everywhere I read I seem to find Bruins fans praising this hit…
Bottom line, it has no place in the NHL and is extremely dangerous and is the type of irresponsible play that ends players careers. Don’t give me the line that Sami Salo was taking a run at him either. Sami Salo is probably the most emotionless player in the entire NHL, the dude is huge and yet watches the Sedin sisters get punched in the face right in front of him, he watches Ryan Kessler get destroyed on a questionable hit and just stands there. He was skating in to play the puck and Marchand played it like a bitch.
And no, Claude Julien, I don’t agree with you that we’d have a safer league if more players made such plays in “self-defense”. We’d have even more of our stars out with serious career ending injuries and we’d be left with a bunch of bitches who won’t stand up and take a hit.
Dudes like Brad Marchand don’t belong in the NHL… Alright, overstated maybe, I recognize he’s a talented player. But plays like that, and his slewfoot and multitude of questionable plays in his short NHL career don’t belong in the NHL.
Peace
Who’s crying???
“It’s hard to win a game when u play almost half of it shorthanded!”
Boo f^^kin hoo!! Your such at typical Bruins fan!!
Marchy will probably get a game or two for the play. He probably deserves to sit out a few, although I have to believe that Salo embellished the hit significantly, considering his timely ‘response’ – jumping back to his feet and launching his stick – as soon as the trainer came out to check on him. And while the play wasn’t a legal one, CJ might have a point about the state of play along the boards.
On a related note, I’m not sure if I’ll ever begin to understand the ’5-on-3 debacle’. I get how the refs thought Lucic had left the bench illegally, and am willing to write that off as an honest mistake in the heat of the moment. But for the B’s to go shorthanded after Thornton was literally JUMPED by 6 guys (one of whom started it all with an intentional high stick) right next to the Vancouver bench is beyond me. I am absolutely dumbfounded that NONE of them have heard from the league about that incident.
The league’s preferential treatment of the bruins is disgusting. They’re unsportsmanlike, malicious, and unprofessional. They play grossly outside the rules, they intend to injure, and they seem to be doing so under a blind eye from league officials. If Marchand doesn’t get at least three games suspension it will be a travesty. Bruins=goons
Horny Toad
Your understanding of ice hockey is only matched by your ability to spell. (neanderthal)
The Bruins are a whinny, undisciplined group of thugs. The neaderthal look alikes like Lucic and Marchand are constantly being suspended/ejected.
What a dirty bunch!!
I agreed with the refs decision of a game misconduct penalty. It does not take a pro to see how the refs had no control in tht game. What was sickening was the 5 minute major for clipping. The Canucks went on to score their 3rd and 4th powerplay goals and went 4 for 11 while the Bruins went 0 for 6 with the man advantage. It’s hard to win a game when u play almost half of it shorthanded! On a side note, the Canucks have now gone 2 games without scoring and even-strength goal on the Bruins. My suggestion, stop crying about all of the extra bullshit and work on your 5 on 5 play, because the next time you see the Bruins, they will be back to the disciplined, hard hitting, dominant, Stanley Cup Champions that you have proven time and again that you can not win against. So, if I was the Prime Minister of Canada, I would be preparing the Royal Canadian Mounties for another riot come next June!!!