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Brad Marchand defends his hit on Salo, takes shot at Vigneault

Sami Salo, Brad Marchand

Boston Bruins’ Brad Marchand, right, trips Vancouver Canucks’ Sami Salo, left, in the second period of an NHL hockey game in Boston, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012. Marchand was penalized for tripping. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

AP

We’ve heard from just about everyone else concerning Brad Marchand’s low-bridge hit on Sami Salo that earned Marchand a five-game suspension, but the one voice we were missing out of all this was Marchand’s.

Marchand broke his silence via a blog on ESPNBoston.com and he did his best to explain himself, the hit, and the big talk coming his way out of Vancouver.

On the hit itself:

“It technically wasn’t a clip. Clipping is when you hit someone at the knees and I did not hit him at the knees. Anyone that has seen the video will see that I hit him in the upper thigh under the buttocks. They can call it a clipping, but they obviously don’t know the rules of hockey.”

Referees are going to love this. We’re sure that comment is going to endear him to the men in stripes the rest of his career. Marchand also might need an anatomy lesson out of all this. Thanks to this, a lot of conspiracy theorists will be borne out of this in Boston every time Marchand winds up in the box.

On Alain Vigneault’s comments that he is out to hurt people:

“He obviously wanted to take a shot at me and stir the pot for the hearing [Monday]. It just shows the class he has or lack thereof. I really am not going to respond or bite into what he’s trying to feed me there.”

Smart move to not dish it back to the coach, but bad for our business. Giving a shot back to him would’ve been a lot more fun and helped drag this soap opera on a bit longer. Marchand also said he doesn’t care what his reputation is and he’ll keep playing the same way no matter what. If you think this is the last we’ll hear from Marchand in his career, I’ve got a bridge in New York I’d like to sell you.

Speaking out like this will make him more of a hero in Boston and more reviled around the rest of the league and that’s just the way he wants it to be.