Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand found himself in hot water yet again on Tuesday. During a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Marchand punched Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry in the head with his right fist during a scrum in front of the net.
Marchand was given a match penalty for his actions, but that wasn't the end of the encounter with Jarry. While being restrained by a linesman, Marchand swung his stick at Jarry as he skated by.
Since Marchand received a match penalty, the Bruins forward's actions will automatically be reviewed by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. According to the NHL's Department of Player Safety, Marchand has been offered a Zoom hearing for the incident.
A suspension is very likely, considering Marchand's history. In November, Marchand was suspended three games for slewfooting Vancouver Canucks defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. He was also suspended in January 2018 for five games after elbowing New Jersey Devils forward Marcus Johansson, which was his most recent offense prior to the slewfooting incident.
The punching and swinging of his stick at Jarry wasn't Marchand's only interactions with the Penguins goaltender throughout the night. As the second period came to a close, Jarry lifted the puck onto his stick and looked like he was going to flip it to a Penguins fan in the crowd. However, Marchand skated by and knocked the puck off of Jarry's stick, so he couldn't toss it into the crowd.
If Marchand is handed a lengthy suspension, that's certainly a big deal for the Bruins. Marchand currently leads the team in points (49) and assists (28). In addition, Marchand also leads the team in penalty minutes with 62 on the season.
