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Bruins Lose Marchand Due To ‘Dirty Hit’ By Caps Forward Hathaway

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Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins may have gutted out a 4-3 win over the Washington Capitals after they were forced to play more than half of the game with ten forwards and down two left wings in Brad Marchand and Anton Blidh.

With the Boston Bruins and the Capitals tied at one goal apiece 6:48 into the second period, Caps winger Garnet Hathaway hit Marchand from behind with Marchand falling to the ice in a vulnerable position. Hathaway only received a two-minute penalty for interference. The Boston Bruins made him and the Capitals pay with David Pastrnak scoring his second goal of the game on the powerplay but Marchand never returned.

“That Marchand one I didn’t like at all. The official was right there in front of it and didn’t call it. The trail official called it. I’m not sure why the guy watching it didn’t. (Hathaway) hit a guy in the numbers in a vulnerable spot. We’ve seen that from that player in the past, too. I didn’t like that one at all.”

Cassidy had his doubts that the NHL Department of Player Safety would even give a serious review to the Hathaway hit on Marchand due to Marchand’s reputation as a dirty player, despite the fact he has cleaned up his act in recent seasons.

“The league may or may not look at it when it comes with Marchy sometimes they kind of move on but in this particular case, it seemed like a vulnerable spot against the boards,” the Boston Bruins head coach said. “Hopefully, Marchand is okay. Tough job for the officials to call those quickly like that, but that one I didn’t particularly like.”

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak echoed Cassidy’s sentiments:

“I didn’t like it, obviously. … I think it was a little dirty,” said the Bruins winger who scored two goals Thursday. “He’s that kind of player.”

 

 

 

Marchand went down the tunnel to the training room immediately, came back onto the bench to see Pastrnak light the lamp for a second time to put the B’s up 2-1, but he couldn’t even raise his arm to celebrate. He left again and following the second period, the Boston Bruins announced that their best player this season would not return. 

 

After the game, there was no update on Marchand and Blidh except that they both had upper-body injuries.

Marchand leads the Boston Bruins in goals with 20 lamplighters, and assists with 23 helpers in 32 games.

Earlier in the game, Blidh was the recipient of a thunderous but clean, open-ice hit from Washington Capitals winger and Public Enemy No. 1, Tom Wilson 15:27 into the first period. Blidh was attended to, helped off the ice by the team medical staff, and did not return.

 

 

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