Boston Bruins LW Brad Marchand has been suspended three games for his slew foot on Vancouver Canucks D Oliver Ekman-Larsson. This isn’t the first time Marchand has had to speak with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. The Bruins forward is familiar with suspensions and this is only the latest to go under-disciplined.
The Bruins were able to win the game vs. the Canucks 3-2 with Marchand accounting or a goal and an assist in the victory. Marchand wasn’t even penalized for the play but received three games. This is the seventh time Marchand has received a suspension and he’s also been fined eight times by the League.
Entering Monday, Marchand ranks tied for 7th in the NHL in scoring with 24 points (9 goals, 15 assists) in 18 games. He’ll be tough to replace in fantasy hockey, but the Bruins have a decent internal option at LW on the first line with Taylor Hall. He could end up moving up to play with C Patrice Bergeron and RW David Pastrnak.
Boston likely isn’t happy about this suspension. The Bruins are in 5th place in the Atlantic Division at 22 points (11-7-0) on the season. It appears tough to get into the top 3 in the Atlantic with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs up there. The Bruins will probably be competing for a Wild Card spot with a handful of teams in the Eastern Conference.