Marchand will learn fate today
The Bruins will learn the fate today of pesky, highscoring left winger Brad Marchand, who will have a telephone hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety about his nasty cheap shot to the groin of Tampa Bay rookie defenseman Jake Dotchin Tuesday night at the Garden.
Marchand, who’s been suspended three times in his career, faces a suspension and/or fine for the stick work, which incurred a five-minute spearing major and game misconduct.
The Bruins have their fingers crossed that Marchand, who has 39 goals this season, will not be suspended, although coach Bruce Cassidy has had to prepare for that possibility.
“We’ll put (adjusted) lines together in our heads, I guess,” Cassidy said after the streaking B’s optional practice yesterday. “I don’t know how it’ll play out. That’s out of my pay grade. Hopefully it goes well for him, but that’s out of my control.”
David Backes hopes the fact Dotchin wasn’t injured and was quickly back on the ice will help Marchand.
“That process, I’m not intimately familiar with it, thankfully,” Backes said. “It’s something that keeps players in the league safe.
“But you see a guy come back into the game and he’s able to play the rest of the game and compete . . . and (Marchand) is sitting on the sidelines, our best player, and we’ve got to kill off a five-minute penalty. I don’t know what all factors into those decisions, but I’m hoping that if something comes down from it, it’s minimal.”
David Pastrnak felt the spear wasn’t intentional.
“It’s not like he meant to do it,” Pastrnak said. “That stuff happens. That’s the same way like when you high-stick someone. The stick jumps up there, and you don’t mean to do it. It’s unfortunate.
“It’s not in my hands. Hopefully he won’t (be suspended). We’ll see what the NHL comes up with.”