Boston Bruins: Brad Marchand Scores Career-High Points, Leads League
Boston Bruins: Brad Marchand Scores Career-High Points, Leads League
Brad Marchand is good at hockey. He’s also known best for playing alongside Patrice Bergeron. Evidently, it doesn’t matter who he plays with. Despite Bergeron missing the Boston Bruins season opener with an injury, Marchand shined. In fact, Marchand is just the 14th player ever to score five points in a season opener. The only other Bruin to do so? Phil Esposito.
While skating alongside newly-acquired center iceman David Backes and David Pastrnak, Marchand dominated the game. From last season to the World Cup, to now, Marchand has never lost his step. In easily the best game of his career, Marchand assisted on Pastrnak’s goal, and on both of Backes’ goals before scoring two of his own. It was a complete effort from Marchand who skated five-on-five, on the power play, as well as on the penalty kill in 17:12 of total ice time.
The line combined for six goals, and six assists for 11 points.
The Bruins ultimately won the game by a score of 6-3, with all six goals coming from the Marchand line.
If the Bruins are going to succeed this season, they will need Marchand to be one of their best players. So far, Marchand has shown that he can be exactly that. Fresh off of a new eight-year, $49 million contract, the Bruins top offensive threat looks primed for another breakout season after his 37-goal campaign in 2015-16.
Although the story of the week will be Auston Matthew’s four-goal NHL debut, Marchand’s week won’t soon be forgotten in Boston. The entire line of Marchand, Pastrnak, and Backes had an impressive game, each scoring two goals apiece.
Nobody expects Marchand to lead the NHL in points for the entire season, but Boston’s “little ball of hate” deserves that credit, at least for the time being. When Bergeron returns from injury, the Bruins will have to decide whether or not they want to play him with Marchand again, or if they want to spread their depth out while maintaining the Bruins only offensive threat from game one.
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