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Bruins GM accuses Canucks of mounting “high-handed propaganda” campaign against Marchand

Peter Chiarelli

Yesterday, Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault ripped Boston coach Claude Julien for defending Brad Marchand after the Bruins forward low-bridged Sami Salo on Saturday at TD Garden, leaving the Vancouver defenseman with a concussion.

“Marchand — this is just my feeling on this,” said Vigneault. “Someday he’s going to get it. Somebody is going to say enough is enough and they’re going to hurt the kid, because he plays to hurt players and in my mind if the league doesn’t take care of it, somebody else will.”

Today, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli addressed Vigneault’s comments in the third day of the two teams’ war of words.

“[Marchand] is no dirtier than maybe two or three of their players,’' Chiarelli told reporters “After a game like [Saturday’s], you see all the high-handed propaganda, you feel the need to respond. Whether it’s from GMs, coaches or players, I don’t like to hear that kind of stuff.”

Chiarelli accused the Canucks of mounting a propaganda campaign against Marchand to influence the league ahead of this afternoon’s disciplinary hearing that could earn the Boston player a suspension.

“The lobbying, propaganda in advance of the hearing is distasteful,” he said.

Julien, not to be outdone, had a few things to say himself.

“I guess we’re stupid,” he said sarcastically. “We’re idiots. They’re so much more intelligent than everybody else. That’s the way they act.”

Julien also accused the Canucks of hypocrisy: “Sometimes you have to look in your own backyard.”

Related: CSN New England’s Joe Haggerty with more on this story.