With Brad Marchand this close to 40 goals, we’ve seen the positive side of the Boston Bruins more than ever this season. We still see the dark side from time to time, however, and Tuesday ranks as one of those moments.
Marchand received a five-minute major for spearing Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Jake Dotchin in a totally unnecessary moment. The Bruins only have two more regular-season games remaining on their schedule, so it should be really interesting to see how the league responds to this action, especially considering his extensive history of run-ins with the Department of Player Safety.
It’ wasn’t just a five-minute major, it was also a game misconduct.
Confirmed it's a game misconduct for Brad Marchand. He's done for the night after spearing Dotchin in the groin
— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) April 4, 2017
The Lightning came into the game with 17 skaters, so if Dotchin’s hurt, the Bolts will be greatly shorthanded. On the bright side, at least Victor Hedman seemingly avoided injury:
Update: Tampa Bay failed to score on a five-minute power play. Keep that in mind if the Lightning suffer a costly defeat on Tuesday.