Brad Marchand made life hell for the Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.
The Bruins captain also matched the physicality with skill, as his two third-period goals were the final nails in Toronto’s coffin.
The Leafs will try to make Marchand less of an offensive threat Saturday night when they attempt to even their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series with the B’s.
But as Matthew Knies explained after Game 3, limiting an impact on the score sheet isn’t the only way Toronto needs to subdue Marchand.
“Just play hard and make him (less) effective.” Sheldon Keefe offered similar sentiments about Marchand after the game.
The Maple Leafs head coach argued the Bruins star receives special treatment from the referees, which was a shaky claim considering Marchand didn’t draw a single penalty Wednesday.
Nonetheless, Marchand clearly will be a point of emphasis for the Maple Leafs in Game 4.
If the two-time All-Star gets the best of Toronto again, Keefe’s side could be fighting for its life when the best-of-seven series returns to Boston.
On Wednesday night, Brad Marchand made life extremely difficult for the Maple Leafs.
At Scotiabank Arena, Marchand’s altercation with former teammate Tyler Bertuzzi set up Trent Frederic’s game-tying goal, marking his first goal for Boston. The captain of the Bruins matched the aggression with skill as well; his two goals in the third period put the finishing touches on Toronto’s season.
In an effort to tie their Stanley Cup playoff series with the Boston Bruins after round one, the Leafs will try to neutralize Marchand’s offensive threat on Saturday night. However, Toronto needs to contain Marchand in more ways than just limiting his impact on the score sheet, as Matthew Knies clarified following Game 3.
Knies told reporters, as reported by Chris Johnston of The Athletic, “I think we’ve just got to be composed and not kind of get into that (expletive),” because he wanted to get under our skin and influence the referees. Simply put, exert a lot of effort to reduce his effectiveness. “.
After the game, Sheldon Keefe expressed similar opinions about Marchand. With Marchand failing to draw a single penalty on Wednesday, the Maple Leafs head coach’s argument that the Bruins star receives preferential treatment from the officials was dubious.
Marchand, though, will undoubtedly be the Maple Leafs’ main focus in Game 4. Keefe’s team may be in danger of losing the best-of-seven series when it returns to Boston if the two-time All-Star defeats Toronto once more.
