Your Boston Bruins welcomed in the Columbus Blue Jackets to the TD Garden tonight looking for a little revenge from their last meeting. It wasn’t looking good for the B’s until Brad Marchand entered the chat and put the squad on his back to deliver the goods for the Black and Gold Faithful in attendance.
Let’s talk about the game quickly, because if you’re looking for a big breakdown and all the ins and outs and X’s and O’s, you’ve clicked the wrong link tonight my friend. The focus of this blog is going to be this beauty right here, the 27th captain here in the Hub of Hockey: Bradley Kevin Marchand.
Let’s get into it: Jeremy Swayman got the start in net and was solid, bordering on spectacular all night. Square on his angles, tracking the puck well through traffic and fluid from side to side: Sway was locked in from the opening draw.
As was discussed during the intermission by the studio panel and by Brick on the NESN broadcast, the Bruins were guilty of trying to do a little too much for most of the early game. Holding onto the puck a tick or two too long, trying to be a bit too cute with their passes and having some puck management issues that they apparently brought back from their trip over the border last night. All that added up to the boys trailing CBJ 1-0 heading into the 3rd. And that’s when the emotional (and the actual) leader of the Bruins took this game over.
First Charlie Coyle sent Danton Heinen into the CBJ zone and Heinen found Marchand trailing the play on the RW with a perfect pass back across the seam. 1-1 and the B’s are on their way. Side note: I’m liking this line of Heinen-Coyle-Marchand. They seem to be finding each other out there and Heinen’s been great the last 5-8 games.
Then another 4 minutes later, Marchy put the Bruins ahead. On the PP, James van Riemsdyk circled the RW circle and found Charlie McAvoy at the top of the umbrella. McAvoy dropped to the top of the circle and laid the puck back to Marchand who put a drag snap from the high slot over Spencer Martin’s glove.
Then, as inevitable as death, taxes and Thanos, you knew Marchy was cashing in for the hatty. David Pastrnak gained the zone (again on a PP) and found McAvoy up high on his backhand. Chuckie Bright Lights found Pavel Zacha in the high slot and he one-touched the puck to Marchand who was dropping down the left side of the high slot. 3 quick strides and another wrister beat Martin and as Homeboy Jack was quick to point out: a natural hatty and the last 4 goals the B’s have scored. You can read an excellent write up of the OTW in Toronto here.
The most beloved rat in Boston since Kenny Linseman not only notched the 6th hat trick of his career tonight (and his first as captain), he also scored the 275th career even-strength goal of his career and passed Patrice Bergeron for 4th in team history. I’d say that’s pretty pretty good.
This cat has come so far since he broke in as a 4th liner. The questionable plays, the licking, the sussies – it’s all come full circle as he’s now the elder statesman on the squad. The longest tenured Bruin and the tone-setter, ball-breaker, motivator in chief and standard-setter for the entire organization. You wouldn’t want it any other way, and 31 other NHL markets wish they had one just like him.
The Little Ball of Hate may be buried in there somewhere, but for now he’s simply The Captain.
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