Brad Marchand was ‘clobbered’ by a linesman Tuesday, but some fans feel the Halifax native and Bruins captain received what he ‘deserved’ last night.
The Leafs may have won the game, but according to some hockey fans, it appears that Bruins captain and Halifax native Brad Marchand received what he was “owed” Thursday night.
Marchand, 35, was the talk of game five after linesman Andrew Smith seemed to tackle the Boston captain, taking him down on the ice following a scuffle with a Leafs player. “And the referee clobbers Marchand!” the Sportsnet analysts were reported to say. Marchand was surprised, and footage of the incident showed him feeling hilariously duped before demanding at the official to get off him.
Smith was also there during Thursday’s game, but it was the other linesman, Ryan Daisy, who appeared to take a revenge shot from Marchand when he shoved the official out of the way while attempting to depart the ice.
Daisy appeared stunned but recovered quickly, casting a glance at Marchand before continuing on. Former NHL referee Tim Peel tweeted, “Not a good look!!!” “That’s not hockey,” commented X user @afond.
Marchand is shoving refs now. 😄 #TORvBOS pic.twitter.com/X4xaNqEfkE
— Richie (@LeafsTattoos) May 3, 2024
There was no call on the play, but some fans pointed out that, per the NHL rulebook, Marchand should have been given at least a 10-game suspension. “This is kind of a big deal,” tweeted X user @DarioinDenver.
Chapter and verse: “Any player who deliberately applies physical force to an official in any manner … which physical force is applied without intent to injure, or who spits on an official, shall be automatically suspended for not less than 10 games.” If there’s intent to injure, that goes up to 20 games.
The games are more intense than most, with the perennial underdog Leafs struggling back from a 3-1 deficit to force game seven, which will take place Saturday night in Boston. Sharp-eyed
commentators noticed that one of the referees at Thursday night’s game was Boston native Chris Rooney, meaning the Leafs might be up against a biased official
It becomes more tricky from there. Daisy, who gave Marchand a literal cold shoulder on Thursday night, is from Mansfield, a town less than an hour south of Boston. Marchand, oddly, is from Halifax, but Smith, his linesman opponent on Tuesday night, is a fellow Canadian from Kitchener, Ontario. What is the penalty for cross-border checks?