Storied career already
Brashness from start personifies Marchand
NOTEBOOK
LOS ANGELES — The story is part of Brad Marchand’s folklore.
After playing 20 games with the Bruins in 2009-10 — and scoring zero goals — he went into his exit meeting with then-general manager Peter Chiarelli intent on talking as good a game as he could. Chiarelli said that if Marchand could come in the following season, play on the fourth line and give the team 10 goals, he would be happy.
“I said, ‘ Well, I think I can get 20,’ ” Marchand said yesterday at the JW Marriott at LA Live. “(Chiarelli) was like ‘All right, we’ll see.’ ”
It was admittedly a moment of chutzpah for Marchand, but it was that level of brashness that allowed him to indeed score 20 the following season and continue to improve over the years to the point where he’s now a first-time All-Star.
“I think I was maybe pulling anything out to make the team, and you’ll do that to try to get a spot on an NHL team,” Marchand said. “That’s where it all stemmed from. I wanted them to know that I thought I could play and that I wanted to be here. Luckily I was able to continue to improve and make that team. But you do need that confidence in your ability and know you can play at that certain level. You can’t be timid and be afraid to make mistakes because that’s when you do make mistakes. That’s when you’re not at your best. In this game, you need to play with confidence.”
But as he took his rightful place among the game’s elite this weekend, Marchand admitted this was not something that was ever on his radar.
“I never ever thought that for a second, even the last couple of years, especially with the way things are designed where you
have to take a guy from each team. We have stars on our team,” said Marchand, referencing fellow AllStar Tuukka Rask, centers Patrice
Bergeron and David Krejci, and defenseman Zdeno Chara. “I never thought I’d be here. I feel extremely fortunate and privileged to be here.”
In last night’s skills competition, Marchand pulled out of the fastest skater event to nurse what’s believed to be a lower-body injury — “Just precautonary,” he said — but he did take part in the breakaway challenge and slipped a backhander through Phoenix Coyotes goalie Mike Smith’s pads.
“To be honest, I was going to shoot and then I panicked and went backhand, 5-hole,” Marchand said. “Luckily it went in, but it was fun.”
Rask up to challenge
The shootout might be Rask’s least favorite thing, but he came up big for the Atlantic in the breakaway challenge, stopping a murderers’ row of Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers), Johnny Gaudreau (Calgary Flames), Brent Burns (San Jose Sharks), Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks) and Jeff
Carter (Los Angeles Kings). “I was just trying to stay up and not hurt myself,” Rask said. “Sitting down for an hour and a half, coming in cold, was different, but it was fun.”
Rask sported an All-Star edition mask bearing the silver and black of the host Kings. . . .
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber again won the hardest shot title at 102.8 mph. Chara’s record of 108.8 mph lives.
“I told him to beat Z’ record so Z would get mad at him, but it wasn’t even close,” Rask said jokingly.
Julien’s ‘one of the best’
Marchand again came to the defense of B’s coach Claude Julien.
“Claude’s one of the best coaches in the game and he’s won at every level,” Marchand said. “To put it on his back is not necessarily right. We’re all in it together. We’re a team. It doesn’t fall on one person, it falls on all of us. Sometimes the coach is the scapegoat. But it’s on the group, it’s not on any individual person.” . . .
After sending Zane McIntyre to AHL Providence and calling up
Anton Khudobin on Friday, the B’s flip-flopped the goalies again.
Subban picks Patriots
P.K. Subban was asked his Super Bowl pick, and the ex-Canadiens defenseman now with the Nashville Predators waxed on about Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
“I’m a Cowboys fan, and I have to support the Titans because I’m in Nashville now. But how can you not go with Brady? He’s just a winner,” Subban said. “As much as I’d like to see Atlanta, because they’ve had such a great season and everything’s gone well, and maybe they will pull it off. They have a good enough team. But Tom Brady, I mean, what a story. Sometimes you just want to see people go to legendary status. I think he’ll already be a legend, but if he wins again, that will solidify it.”
Marchand, of course, did not equivocate when asked.
“Is there even a question? Pats all day,” Marchand said. “Brady is on a mission.”