Brad Marchand is an incredibly talented hockey player and no one in the world can take that away from him. Marchand has always played the game with a chip on his shoulder, that has allowed him to seperate himself from the other players in the league. Unfortunately sometimes, Marchand's competitive nature causes him to cross the line.
Over his career it's happened more than a handful of times. When Marchand's adrenaline gets pumping and tempers flare, he sometimes isn't known for making the best decisions. That was on full display once again last night against the Seattle Kraken.
With the game tied at 4 late in the 3rd period, Marchand made another questionable decision that could have cost his team. As the two teams began to push and shove after the whistle Marchand paired off with Oliver Bjorkstrand. As the two exchanged words Marchand slides his leg behind Bjorkstrand's tripping him, in what some are calling a slewfoot.
From the ice Bjorkstrand grabbed hold of Marchand's leg and tried to wrestle him to the ice. Both players received minor penalties for cross checking on the play and on the way to the box Bjorkstrand voices his displeasures to the referee. As Bjorkstrand mentions he was slewfooted, the referee who was in the perfect position to see the play simply mouthed back "I didn't see it."
Earlier this week Marchand also took a shot at NHL Player Safety, so it will be interesting to see if Marchand, a repeat offender, faces supplemental discipline for this play.
