Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Bruins say Marchand avoided warning for diving rule he hates

Brad Marchand P.K. Subban

Montreal Canadiens’ P.K. Subban falls over Boston Bruins’ Brad Marchand during the second period in Game 4 in the second round of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs Thursday, May 8, 2014, in Montreal. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson)

AP

Boston Bruins pest Brad Marchand received the first embellishment penalty of the 2014-15 season, but Claude Julien told CSNNE.com that he isn’t getting a warning from the NHL. In fact, Julien said he isn’t even getting a call from the NHL about it.

That said, Julien thinks that Marchand should be careful about playing on the edge.

“That’s up to him to clean up, but it’s a situation he created,” Julien said. “I think he’s done a good job this year of staying focused, and just playing his game. Whether he gets in the other teams kitchen or not, that’s part of his game. It’s just about making sure you don’t lose the respect of the referees by chirping, or continuing to do things after the whistle when they tell him to stop.”

Apparently the 26-year-old isn’t just griping about the media, he’s also quite unhappy with the NHL’s new plan to out players who repeatedly embellish (or “dive,” if you want to be saltier about it). He vented about the alterations to WEEI, with the site’s blog providing a transcription:

“I think the new rule is a little absurd,” Marchand told WEEI.com Saturday. “It’€™s all a judgment call by the referee. How do you judge how guys are on their balance, how they’€™re on their skates?”

“€œ ... The fact that guys are going to start getting fined for it, I don’€™t agree with that. It’€™s all the discretion of the referee and you’€™ve got to try to play within the rules. We’€™re going to try to find that line, but at end of the day, it’€™s up to the referees with what they want to call, and you’€™ve got to live with it.”

Does the “pest” have a point or is he just beefing about something that might make him look bad? Or could it be a little of both?

Follow James O’Brien @cyclelikesedins