Watch Brad Marchand Beat Roberto Luongo For A Nifty Penalty Shot Goal
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- In case you haven't noticed, Bruins winger Brad Marchand has taken his game to another level so far in 2016-17, the first season of his eight-year, $49 million contract extension. The way he's played so far, the 28-year-old looks like a bargain.
Streaking toward the net on an odd-man rush early in the first period against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night, Marchand took a pass from Patrice Bergeron and was in position to beat goalie Roberto Luongo. Former Bruins teammate Reilly Smith hooked Marchand to the ice, which earned the winger a penalty shot.
Marchand made Smith pay for his transgression as he pulled a smooth left-to-right deke to knock Luongo off his skates then backhanded the puck over the goalie's glove to the top corner. NESN's Andy Brickley described Marchand's deke as a "confident move."
The Bruins may not be getting close to Marchand's level of production from the rest of the roster, but there's no doubt that he is transforming into one of the NHL's most dynamic offensive talents. He's tied for seventh in the league with 11 points, putting him just behind studs like Connor McDavid, Steven Stamkos, Patrick Kane, and Claude Giroux.
If Marchand can keep up this level of production for the next several years, his $6.125 million cap hit will be money well spent.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
