Haggs On Marchand Hit: 'Very Suspension Worthy'
The Bruins and Canucks met at the Garden for the first time since last year's Stanley Cup Finals. Unfortunately for Boston the Canucks came out on top 4-3 in a very emotional game.
Bruins insider Joe Haggerty spoke with 98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher & Rich about what the Vancouver media is saying about the Bruins, calls during the game and Brad Marchand's hit on Sami Salo.
Brad Marchand was given a game misconduct for clipping Sami Salo late in the second period. What is the Vancouver media saying about this Bruins team?
"I think they called Brad Marchand the Hobbit. They're saying that the Bruins are dirty trying to hurt people, they're just a bad group of guys that are trying to just bully their way and dirty play their way to NHL Championships."
The guys asked Haggerty how Vancouver ended up with a five on three after there looked like there was a six on one involving Shawn Thornton in front of the Vancouver bench.
"I think they just didn't see what happened. I think they had no idea what actually started it, what went on and they were kind of guessing a little bit and just throwing it out there and trying find out exactly what happened after the fact."
Marchand was ejected for his low hit on Salo and will have a conference call with league disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan. What did Haggerty think of the hit?
"Very suspension worthy, I think he's going to get hit with probably two or three games at the very least."
It's no secret that Marchand is an agitator and plays on the edge, but now where's he becoming a repeat guest of Shanahan's does Cluade Julien need to sit him down for a talk?
"I think that's just the hazard of doing business the way he plays. He's going to have that happen to him where he knows his first suspension isn't going to be his last. He's going to be a guy that's going to have conversations with Brendan Shanahan throughout the years because that's just the type of player he is."
They also discussed the decision Vancouver made to sit Roberto Luongo and start Cory Schneider. Why does Haggerty think they made that move?
"I think Roberto Luongo could have played in that game and could have insisted that he play in that game. Instead of this bogus friends and family, Cory Schneider is from Marblehead excuse like it's pee-wee hockey and little league and everybody gets an ice cream sundae after the game is over... I honestly think they were probably worried that if Luongo came to Boston if he got destroyed again and embarrassed again they probably could have lost him for a month or two months and he would have been mentally shot and he's that fragile."
Listen:
