Brandon Prust spears Brad Marchand in the groin late in blowout loss

Photo Credit: Tom Szczerbowski/USA TODAY Sports

At some point you knew the Vancouver Canucks were going to ‘get’ Brad Marchand.

The Boston Bruins forward has been a thorn in the side the Canucks and their fans for years. He’s even annoying to the club’s former coach Alain Vigneault! And while some of the hatred is based on a petty reaction to a player that performed well in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, some of it is also well earned.

The punches on Daniel Sedin late in Game 6 drew the ire of Canucks fans, as did the cheap, dangerous low bridge that concussed Sami Salo in January of 2012. Then there was the time that Marchand kissed his ring and mimed lifting the Stanley Cup on Rogers Arena ice during a blowout loss in the fall of 2013. 

You knew that at some point a Canucks player was going to exact some form of payback on Marchand, and on Saturday night Brandon Prust did just that: spearing Marchand in the groin with apparent intent.

Here’s the play in question:

Little doubt about that being an intentional spear, I’d think, particularly because of Marchand’s unique history with the Canucks. Prust was assessed a misconduct on the play, and if there were to be supplemental discipline, that decision wouldn’t be particularly controversial.

The Bruins and Marchand had the last (and only) laugh in an ugly game for the Canucks. The Bruins super pest managed the game winner on Saturday night, five shots on goal, and was +3.