When all is said and done, the all-time Boston Bruins greats list will include left-wing Brad Marchand. The “Little Ball of Hate” has been a 5-foot-9 spark plug for Boston since being drafted in the third round of the 2006 NHL Draft. Marchand began his pro career with a Stanley Cup in his rookie season and scored two goals in the Cup-clinching Game 7. From there, the fan favorite was beloved by Bruins fans and hated by the rest of the league for his pest-like play on the ice and a propensity for crossing the line at times, leading to eight suspensions over his 15-year career. It has been an entertaining ride for Marchand, who will one day most certainly have his number 63 in the rafter at TD Garden with an outside chance of entering the Hockey Hall of Fame.
After surgery on both hips before last season, the 35-year-old is most certainly on the back end of his career. But even after that major repair, Marchand was nearly a point-per-game player during the 2022-23 season, with 67 points in 73 games. Coming into this season, Marchand received more responsibility as captain of the Bruins after the departure of long-time linemate Patrice Bergeron. It was a typical “full circle” moment as the once NHL bad guy was now leading a 100-year-old storied franchise. As even he would admit, the captaincy is a heavy load, and Marchand has felt the weight of it this season and was recently mired in a rare five-game pointless streak. But on a Sunday night in Boston, just two days after the passing of his beloved grandmother, the old Brad Marchand reappeared when the team needed their captain the most.
With the Bruins down 1-0 entering the third period and in danger of losing to the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second time this season, Marchand took over with three goals in a span of 5:50 for a natural hat trick en route to a 3-1 win. In the process, the Nova Scotia native showed off his signature off-foot, snapt shot that has been so lethal over the years. It was vintage Marchand. The pesky forward now has 11 goals and 12 assists in 24 games and is just 15 points from 900 in his brilliant career.
The Bruins are 17-4-3 and have been almost as good as they were in last season’s historic 65-win season. Ironically, this hot start has come with Marchand not playing up to his typical standard. However, Sunday night seemed different. Marchand was everywhere on the ice, and winning pucks and creating space they way scrappy forward always has. Right before his third goal of the night, Marchand drew a penalty as he carried the puck through two defenders toward the net. The Bruins captain was feeling it, and as teammate Charlie McAvoy said, “He has that capability.”
With one more year left on his contract, it remains to be seen how long Marchand will continue to play in the league, but 1,000 points is within reach. The Bruins have recovered from a three-game losing streak with three consecutive wins, and they can owe this last victory to their captain, Brad Marchand, and maybe Bergeron, who chatted with his former teammate last week. Regardless, it was another epic performance for all the haters.
