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

Bruins’ Brad Marchand not a big fan of the Montreal Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens v Boston Bruins

of the Boston Bruins of the Montreal Canadiens on February 9, 2011 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Bruins defeated the Canadiens 8-6. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Elsa

Tonight in Montreal is the first game between the Canadiens and the Boston Bruins since their fight-filled 8-6 Bruins victory back in February. It’s an original six rivalry that feels as old as time and seeing these two old rivals play the feud felt like good old fashioned old time hockey.

For Bruins rookie forward Brad Marchand, he’s picked up the torch of the rivalry and is running with it. Today, Marchand spoke with CSN New England’s Joe Haggerty and shared his thoughts about what he thinks of the Montreal Canadiens and how they play hockey. If you think things might go quietly tonight between the two teams, Marchand’s words might fire things up like gasoline on a fire.

“We have to not worry about them diving and chipping away at us,” said Marchand. “We just have to play physical and things will be all right.

“They like to get in and shoot their mouths off, and then when you hit them they dive down easy. They give a lot of shots behind the play, back of the legs and stuff like that. Then when we run them they play it off like they didn’t deserve it. It’s the kind of team they are. They’re pretty good at it.”

Marchand said much of what happened in February’s penalty-filled homage to “Slap Shot” was a result of Boston refusing to turn the other cheek at any of Montreal’s cheap shots, and instead forcing the normally evasive Les Habitants to pay for their crimes against hockey.

“It’s tough. It’s very frustrating. When you have a team like we do that’s big, tough and strong you don’t want to take any of it,” said Marchand. “I think that’s kind of what happened in the last game. Guys weren’t putting up with it, and I don’t think [the Canadiens] wanted to back down. That’s why things got so crazy. That’s what happens when you want to play that kind of game.”


Them’s fighting words. Yes, the irony that Marchand is fighting back with his words while picking on the Habs for running their mouths is there, but considering the physical beating the Bruins laid on Montreal last month, we’re not doubting his ability to fight back.

As for whether or not Marchand will seek payback on Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban for hitting him with a pair of brutal (but very legal) body checks, Marchand tells Haggerty that he’ll hit him if he gets the chance to but going out of his way to do so comes with a price in that Marchand has become a solid penalty killer for the Bruins. Getting booked for a reckless penalty hurts the Bruins in more than one way.

As for who Marchand puts the pressure on the most in tonight’s game, he says the focus is on the officials to make sure things don’t get hog wild the way they did last time around. More from Haggerty:

“If [the refs] don’t take control of it early in the game then things are going to get really chippy,” said Marchand. “We heard that they were a little upset about [Spacek] and Hamrlik getting into fights, but they willingly dropped the gloves. Nobody made them. [Gregory] Campbell didn’t want to get into a fight, but he did anyway.

“They threw the first punch. They stir the pot and they got what they deserve. It wasn’t our fault. They played into our hands. Whatever they’re mad about they can suck it up. It’s not our fault.”


It always takes two to tango.

We’re pretty sure the fans in Montreal will be busy letting him and the officials know how they feel tonight from Bell Centre.