THE PEST IS (NOT) HISTORY
Fans still heckle him, but Marchand thinks the Canucks-Bruins’ rivalry has less bite
Alex Edler simply sighed when the annual question surfaced.
Asked if there are smouldering embers from the once-raging rivalry with the Boston Bruins — a tire fire of mutual hate from the 2011 Stanley Cup final that included Alex Burrows’ alleged finger biting, a questionable four-game suspension to Aaron Rome, Brad Marchand using Daniel Sedin’s face as a punching bag and a plethora of missed penalties and verbal cheap shots — the Vancouver Canucks defenceman figured at best those flames are only flickering now.
“There are two of us left who played in that final, so I don’t know,” said Edler, who along with defence partner Chris Tanev are the only players on Vancouver’s roster trying to get over that deflating Cup loss. “Playing Boston, that’s a good team and they’re always hard-played games.”
Not exactly bulletin-board material for Saturday’s meeting at Rogers Arena.
Even Marchand, suspended five times and fined on six other occasions during his tumultuous nine-year career — and warned by the NHL to cease his crazed licking of opponents’ faces — wasn’t exactly lighting the fuse this week when asked about the fading rivalry.
“I think maybe it’s more for the fans and the media than anything,” said the 30-year-old Halifax native. “But it’s always a good feeling going back in that arena, for sure. I’m not liked very much in that city. But it’s still fun to go there.”
Marchand even reached out on Twitter and said this when Henrik and Daniel Sedin officially announced in early April they were retiring: “Congrats on a great career to the Sedins. Two of the best playmakers to ever play the game! All the best in retirement.”
Wait. What?
A mellower Marchand? Where’s Burrows when you need someone to stir the pot?
The retired agitator is patrolling the bench as an American Hockey League assistant coach with the Laval Rocket instead of doing his pain-in-the-ass thing and patrolling the wing.
Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, David Krejci and Tuukka Rask, the only other Bruins remaining from that bitter final, aren’t exactly flame throwers or head hunters.
You get more from former Canucks general manager Mike Gillis and goaltender Roberto Luongo, who still admit it’s difficult to get over blowing 2-0 and 3-2 series leads in the 2011 final. Fewer injuries and better goaltending in Boston and the Canucks would have claimed their first NHL championship.
However, just when nobody was really taking the rivalry bait, Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy took a nibble. He was an AHL assistant coach with the Providence Bruins in 2011 and with some of his players bolstering the parent club’s playoff roster, he had more than a passing interest.
There are two of us left who played in that final, so I don’t know (if there’s a rivalry anymore.)” Alex Edler
“I would say it’s probably going away from being a rivalry than opposed to being close to it, personally,” said Cassidy.
“I guess we’ll see Saturday based on how many mock Marchand chants there are.
“But I don’t know if you can pick on Bergy (Bergeron). What are you going to say about him? Timmy Thomas is gone, I think they (the Canucks) had some ire toward him. Some of the evil villains are gone. Luongo is gone. The Sedins are gone. Who was the biting guy? All those characters aren’t around anymore. I think part of a rivalry is hating other players.
“But now with the Sedins gone — even they took a lot of abuse from the Bruins fans — players come and go and it’s a different animal now.”
The animal in Marchand still exists. He was more of a curiosity in 2010-11, his first full NHL season. But his penchant to initiate, irritate and inflict physical and psychological pain didn’t really surface until Game 4 of the 2011 final.
He scored in that game and took four minors. He scored again in Game 6 and had two more goals in Game 7 to cap a post-season in which he compiled 19 points (11-8) and 40 penalty minutes in 25 games.
“It’s a tough role to play, to walk that line, and I get pulled back a lot, but that’s how I have to play to be effective,” he said during that Cup final. “You don’t want to think of it all (being a rookie) because that’s when nerves creep in.”
Fast-forward and the biggest test for the Canucks this Saturday will be to have a shutdown answer for Bergeron centring the top line with Marchand and David Pastrnak. They had combined for 15 goals and 34 points in their first six outings before Thursday’s game in Edmonton and Bergeron, an annual Selke Trophy consideration, has already been named player of the week this season.
The Bruins have also brought out the best and worst in the Canucks.
A year ago in Boston, the Bruins scored four power-play goals and Bergeron had a four-point night in a 6-3 rout. In the Feb. 17 rematch at Rogers Arena, the Canucks got a 44-save performance from Anders Nilsson and a rare two-goal outing from Loui Eriksson in a 6-1 triumph.
What irks the Canucks and their fan base is what could have been in 2011. Key players were either injured or playing hurt and Luongo couldn’t find his road game. Better health and more goals and saves and there might be a Cup statue outside Rogers Arena.
Luongo allowed 15 goals in less than seven periods at TD Garden and just two in three games on home ice.
In Game 6, he allowed three goals on eight shots before being yanked to a chorus of jeers from a raucous sold-out arena. The look of concern from the bench acknowledged that everything was going south in a hurry.
Think about it.
Luongo recorded his second series shutout in Game 5 and came across as confident and cocky in his post-game address. He then looked every bit like a guy who had lost his game and his nerve in Game 6. After allowing three questionable goals, Luongo was replaced by Cory Schneider.
We all know what happened in Game 7. Luongo was better, but the Canucks were blanked 4-0 and the sight of the Bruins celebrating in Vancouver while a riot raged downtown will never be forgotten.
Charlie McAvoy understands how quickly rivalries can escalate because he’s now known as the latest Bruins pest.
The defenceman’s heavy third-period hit that dropped Johnny Gaudreau Wednesday — after a failed breakaway scoring attempt by the Calgary speedster — drew an interference minor and more anti-Bruins ire.
The Flames winger absorbed an elbow to the head in the collision and his head appeared to strike the ice. A concussion spotter sought his removal from the game and he didn’t return.
And even though Gaudreau wasn’t feeling significant effects from the check Thursday — and the league ruled out supplementary discipline — Flames fans have already noted that Calgary is in Boston Jan. 3.
McAvoy was 13 years old during the 2011 Stanley Cup final. The Long Beach, N.Y. athlete was a huge New York Rangers fan. He idolized Brian Leetch. He didn’t know much about Vancouver.
“When the Bruins won that series, I was just a kid in New York — I had no dog in the fight,” said McAvoy.
“I wasn’t really intrigued with it. I didn’t really care too much, but it was a great series. I mean, I guess you inherit a little bit of it (the rivalry).”
It’s one that’s also fuelled by two rabid fan bases.
“For their fans, for sure, especially the way the city responded after they lost (in 2011),” said McAvoy.
“I’m sure they don’t like the Bruins very much — those diehard fans. But for me, I’m not really sure. I know Bruins-Montreal is the rivalry I’ve inherited.”