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Bruins’ Marchand searches for answers after failing to score in playoffs

Montreal Canadiens v Boston Bruins - Game Seven

during Game Seven of the Second Round of the 2014 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the TD Garden on May 14, 2014 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Jared Wickerham

Brad Marchand was involved Wednesday night, but not for the right reasons.

The Boston Bruins, the top National Hockey League team in the regular season, are out of the playoffs in the second round after a 3-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on home ice in Game 7.

The pesky Bruins forward took a pair of trips to the penalty box for trying to somehow take Carey Price off his game in a crucial contest against the Canadiens. You can certainly argue the validity of both calls, but the second one, unsportsmanlike conduct for showering Price with snow after the whistle, was simply putting himself in a position for the referees to make a call.

And let’s face it, Marchand doesn’t have the greatest reputation around the league.

But he’s shown in the past that during the playoffs, he can balance throwing opposing players off their game while also contributing on the score sheet, as well. Remember 2011, when he had 11 goals in 25 games and managed to get under the skin of Daniel and Henrik Sedin of Vancouver?

He didn’t do that these entire playoffs, at least not in the goal column. Twelve playoff games in 2014 and only five assists to show.

“It’s tough. Every game the chances were there. Maybe it was a lack of focus, or I didn’t bear down,” said Marchand, as per Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com.

No matter how much the Bruins may have tried to throw Price for a loop, the Canadiens’ puck stopper never faltered. He was fantastic in the deciding game, stopping 29 shots out of 30 he faced.

“You always give credit to the team that moved ahead and I’ll tell you one thing: Carey Price was outstanding,” said Bruins head coach Claude Julien, as per Conor McKenna of TSN 690.

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