The Boston Bruins were back to the ice after their holiday break, visiting the Buffalo Sabres looking to extend their lead on the rest of the Atlantic divison.
With the score 1-0 Boston, Bruins' captain Brad Marchand gets called for delivering a cross-check to the back of the Sabres Dylan Cozens. Upon review you can clearly see Marchand not putting his full force into it. Cozens was still able to dump the puck into the Bruins zone.
Marchand went to the box to serve his two-minute cross-checking minor, but didn't stop complaining when he sat down. The extra bit of lipping off earned Marchand an additional two-minute minor for unsportsmanlike conduct.
NHL on TNT analyst Colby Armstrong was among the majority that disagreed with NHL referee Garrett Rank's call in the first period.
Studio host Liam McHugh started off out of the first break, asking about the call, and Armstrong came in hot.
Armstrong:
«I'd be mad, too!»
McHugh: «Anson Carter, you didn't love the call?
Carter: «No.»
Armstrong: «Like brutal call. If you look at it, he was going to cross-check him – which is so on brand – but then he goes, ‘OK. I'm not gonna cross-check him; I'm just gonna bump him down. Give him the penalty; get it right. Get thicker skin! Big deal. The guy's upset. Skate away. Call the two minutes.»
Luckily for Boston, they were able to kill the Sabres' four-minute penalty. Marchand would add two assists on the night in a 4-1 Bruins victory.
