Bruins’ Brad Marchand Offers Praise To Famed Rival, Canada Teammate

Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand was put in a few awkward situations entering the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Marchand isn’t exactly the most beloved man in hockey, with almost two decades worth of chirps and on-ice antics turning him into one of the better pests we’ve ever seen. Team Canada knew that coming into the 4 Nations Face-Off, but also knew his talent and leadership were paramount in their effort to eventually secure a victory.

It’s not like the 36-year-old doesn’t have beefs of his own, either.

Sam Bennett and Jordan Binnington probably wouldn’t have been his first choice to play alongside entering the tournament, but settled in just as many rivals turned teammates did across Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States.

Marchand skated with Bennett, despite being sucker punched by the veteran forward last postseason — which caused him to miss multiple games.

Binnington, however, was someone who might have turned a new leaf with Marchand, being showered with praise after a heroic overtime performance in the championship game on Thursday at TD Garden.

“The feeling was, after the first one he made, it was, ‘Oh, that’s the save we needed, we’re going to get it,'” Marchand said on Thursday, per The Athletic. “Then it happened again, and again, and again, and eventually it was like, ‘Man, we’ve got to pull it together or it’s going to bite us.’ But he just continued to do it.

“For him to come up big that many times in overtime, it speaks a tremendous amount to his character and how prepared he was for this moment. And he took advantage of it. He was the sole reason we won this game tonight.”

Binnington, of course, had a similar performance in Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final — snatching a second cup from right under his future teammate’s nose in the very same building. Marchand might not have been able to appreciate the performance six years ago, but certainly could once he was a beneficiary of some truly elite goaltending to secure the Gold on Thursday

“He’s such a competitor,” Marchand said. “I think that’s the biggest thing — the way he focuses in the room, the way he practices, his attitude. He has the drive and the confidence to want to be the best. He has the confidence that you want in your goalie… It’s awesome to play with him.”