Marchand's response to Vigneault: ‘I thought I was likable'

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BOSTON – Brad Marchand was clearly biting his tongue, surely upon the advisement of somebody in the Boston Bruins organization, but the B’s agitator still had a little fun with the unflattering Alain Vigneault comments from Saturday.

The New York Rangers coach now-infamously took umbrage with Marchand pointing out in colorful fashion that Henrik Lundqvist had flopped for a penalty call in Boston’s Black Friday win over the Rangers. So Vigneault got personal in comparisons between Marchand and Lundqvist during a Saturday media session nearly 24 hours after the game had been played.

Most famously Vigneault said, “Who would you rather have as a son, Henrik [Lundqvist] or Brad Marchand? For him to say things like that about Hank, totally wrong, and probably Claude is getting a little older and needs to check his eyesight.”

On Sunday following Bruins practice, Marchand was queried about what his parents thought about Vigneault’s sentiments. The Bruins agitator kept it completely tame in his response, but it wasn’t difficult to see there was a whole mess of commentary bubbling underneath the surface of what Marchand actually said.

“I don’t know if my mom has seen that, and I haven’t talked to my father about it,” said a widely smirking Marchand throughout the line of questioning. “I think they love me, though.

“I thought I was a likable person. That’s something that you’re going to have to ask him. We just want to play the game, and try to keep everything on the ice. You can’t control what he says. We all have our own opinions and we’re entitled to that. It is what it is.”

Clearly some of those comments were sarcastic from Marchand given how widely he's painted as a Black and Gold villain in opposing NHL cities. It's also evident that the Nose Face Killah is probably saving his Grade A chirping material for the January 11 rematch between the Bruins and Rangers, a game that has suddenly become one to circle in red ink on the NHL regular season calendar.

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