During a moment where a referee whistled for a penalty on Marchand for tripping Sabres' Henri Jokiharju behind Buffalo's net, an altercation ensued between Marchand and a linesman. Marchand, expecting a usual trip to the penalty box, reacted with frustration, approaching the linesman to contest the call. At the same time, Jokiharju got back on his feet and approached Marchand, heightening tension around the official.
Marchand signaled his willingness to engage in physical confrontation with Jokiharju and his teammates. The linesman intervened between the opposing players but got entangled with the persistent Bruins forward. Swiftly, another official rushed in and surprised Marchand with a tackle, bringing him down and stopping a potential fight.
Considering Marchand's history, especially with the NHL's department of player safety regarding past infractions like slew-footing, receiving only a minor penalty for tripping seemed like fortunate luck. Perhaps, the league viewed this incident as a chance for Marchand to experience what he often instigates, as one of its linesmen intervened, giving the Bruins' captain a taste of his own medicine.
