When the Boston Bruins couldn't stop the Washington Capitals on the ice, they switched to fisticuffs, taking out a night of frustration on Lars Eller's head.
"His celebration was unnecessary," Marchand insisted after the game. "He took an angle in front of our bench and celebrated in a 7-0 game. So I just let him know."
Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy took a similarly macho approach, propping up Marchand's actions.
"That's good. He's a proud guy," Cassidy said. "I think Eller celebrated a little on a 7-0 goal. I think that's his prerogative and Marchy let him know that that's not acceptable.
"That's that and we move on."
Not so, says Caps coach Todd Reirden, who expects the NHL to take a closer look at the fight.
“It was disappointing and something I think will be looked at again,” he said after the game. He also said that he had yet to check with the trainers about Eller, but that he suspected he was OK.