Over to you, NHL: Marchand’s cheap shot opens door for further discipline

Suspend him. Full stop.

At this point, if player safety really is important to the NHL, there’s no other option - Brad Marchand doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt.

With the Boston Bruins winger once again skating past the line of healthy competition and into a zone of reckless behavior, the NHL's Department of Player Safety has a terrific opportunity to send a stern message.

In case you missed it: Marchand punched Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Scott Harrington in the back of the head following a whistle in the dying moments of Tuesday’s Game 3. The cheap shot went unpenalized, allowing Boston to continue peppering Columbus goalie Sergei Bobrovsky as the seconds ticked off.

Via NBCSN

The Jackets survived the six-on-five barrage to win Game 3 by a final score of 2-1 to take a 2-1 series lead. Nobody's focusing on Bobrovsky's 35-save performance, though. The Marchand-Harrington incident is the clear-cut No. 1 talking point from Tuesday’s tilt.

Marchand didn’t hit Harrington during the run of play. In fact, he waited about four seconds after the play had been whistled to deliver the blow. Making matters worse, Harrington, who was on his knees helping contain the puck under Bobrovsky's sprawled body, wasn’t roughing up one of Marchand’s teammates. He was in a vulnerable position.

If you focus solely on Marchand in the clip, it’s obvious he’s assessing the scene following the whistle, taking inventory of everybody’s whereabouts and temperaments. He waits until all four officials are consumed by a skirmish to the right of Bobrovsky, and then slyly approaches Harrington.

That’s clear premeditation, and the screen capture below - taken milliseconds before Marchand punches Harrington - shows the preoccupied officials.

Via NBCSN

You can certainly forgive the officials on the ice for missing this call. Marchand planned it out perfectly and, at best, the infraction itself was a flash in their peripheries.

But, in the aftermath of Game 3, the DoPS can take their sweet time evaluating every facet of this sequence. Department head George Parros and staff have the benefit of video review. And that’s important because this isn’t Marchand’s first rodeo, and his history should be a crucial part of the equation.

Here’s another angle, courtesy of Reddit:

Via Sportsnet Ontario

Now, the hit itself - while irresponsible and cheap and completely unnecessary - was hard but not hard enough to knock out Harrington or even prevent him from getting up immediately. It's more of a jab than a vicious attack and, at least based on postgame media availabilities, Harrington seems fine.

So, the actual force used to commit the crime wasn’t record-breaking and the victim wasn't injured. Also important to note: The DoPS tends to dish out supplemental discipline differently in the playoffs. An identical infraction committed during the regular season would likely receive a stiffer penalty because the games aren't considered of equal value.

Those three factors should help Marchand and may ultimately earn him a fine, not a suspension.

What shouldn’t help Marchand and could tip the scales toward a suspension: He premeditated the cheap shot, he clearly tried to sneak one past the refs, and he's been assessed six suspensions over a 10-year NHL career. His rap sheet includes a five-game ban for elbowing, five games for clipping, three games for clipping, two games for elbowing, two games for slew-footing, and two games for spearing.

In other words, Marchand - the most polarizing hockey player on the planet - has pushed the boundaries yet again (let’s not forget he’s also a serial face-licker and, in Game 1, stomped on Cam Atkinson's stick). And that matters, especially since the hit itself, without context, probably wouldn't qualify as an automatic suspendable offense.

Marchand is a fabulous talent, an MVP-level player, and is entertaining as hell to watch. He's a pest who just recorded 100 points in the regular season, for crying out loud. In a vacuum, what's not to like?

These reckless acts, however, are also a part of Marchand’s brand, and he can’t seem to help himself. He's a repeat offender five times over, already.

Plus, how about the timing from a Bruins perspective? You’re down a goal with one minute left in a crucial playoff game and one of your best players decides to pull this stunt? Suboptimal move.

Again, suspend him. Even if it's for one game. Send a message to a guy who thinks he's untouchable.

John Matisz is theScore's National Hockey Writer. You can find him on Twitter @matiszjohn.

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Report: Sabres interviewed Tippett for head coaching job

The Buffalo Sabres' coaching search now reportedly includes an advisor to the NHL's newest franchise.

Dave Tippett interviewed with the Sabres for their head coaching vacancy, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman wrote in Tuesday's edition of "31 Thoughts."

The Sabres have also reportedly spoken with Pittsburgh Penguins assistant Jacques Martin, and Swedish national team head coach Rikard Gronborg is expected to be in the mix, too, adds Friedman.

Tippett was hired by the Seattle expansion team in June as a senior advisor.

The 57-year-old last coached the Arizona Coyotes from 2009 to 2017 and led them to playoff berths in each of his first three seasons, including a Western Conference Final appearance in 2011-12.

Prior to that, he coached the Dallas Stars for six campaigns, helping them advance as far as the conference finals in 2007-08.

The Sabres fired former head coach Phil Housley in April.

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Canucks owner denies contacting Gillis about potential return

Vancouver Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini took to social media on Tuesday to shut down reports that he reached out to former president and general manager Mike Gillis about potentially returning to the club.

The Vancouver Sun's Ed Willes reported on the "White Towel" podcast last Thursday that Aqulilini reached out to Gillis via text message.

Gillis was fired by Aquilini in April 2014 and was succeeded by former Canucks captain Trevor Linden, who was hired as president of hockey operations. Vancouver then brought in current general manager, Jim Benning, in May 2014.

The Canucks enjoyed one of their most successful eras under Gillis, making the playoffs in five straight seasons while earning two Presidents' Trophies and a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2011.

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Report: Matthews won’t play in worlds

Auston Matthews will not suit up for the United States at the upcoming World Championship, Sportsnet's John Shannon reports.

The dynamic Toronto Maple Leafs forward told TSN's Mark Masters last week that he would think about it and that it was "really enticing."

Matthews has forgone the tournament since he was drafted in 2016. He racked up 11 points in seven games at the 2016 tourney, helping the U.S. claim bronze.

He also represented his country twice at the world juniors and twice at the Under-18 worlds.

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Report: Matthews won’t play in worlds

Auston Matthews will not suit up for the United States at the upcoming World Championship, Sportsnet's John Shannon reports.

The dynamic Toronto Maple Leafs forward told TSN's Mark Masters last week that he would think about it and that it was "really enticing."

Matthews has forgone the tournament since he was drafted in 2016. He racked up 11 points in seven games at the 2016 tourney, helping the U.S. claim bronze.

He also represented his country twice at the world juniors and twice at the Under-18 worlds.

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Rangers acquire Hobey Baker finalist Adam Fox from Hurricanes

The New York Rangers have acquired defense prospect Adam Fox from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a 2019 second-round pick and a conditional third-round pick in 2020, the Rangers announced Tuesday.

The third-rounder becomes a second-round selection if Fox plays at least 30 games for the Rangers next season, the Hurricanes stated in their release.

Fox racked up 48 points in 33 games for Harvard this past season and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA's top player. Originally a third-round pick of the Calgary Flames in 2016, he was traded to Carolina along with Dougie Hamilton and Micheal Ferland in exchange for Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin this past summer.

The Rangers are in the process of finalizing an entry-level deal for the 21-year-old, TSN's Bob McKenzie reports.

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A Cinderella Story: Hurricanes are now Stanley Cup betting favorites

After taking the first two games on the road to open their second-round series against the New York Islanders, the Carolina Hurricanes have been given the best odds of winning the Stanley Cup, according to Jeff Sherman of SuperBookUSA.

The three other conference semifinal series are deadlocked at one game apiece.

The Hurricanes finished the regular season as the Eastern Conference's first wild-card team before upsetting the defending champion Washington Capitals in the opening round.

Despite barely squeaking into the playoffs, the Hurricanes boasted some of the league's most favorable possession metrics throughout the course of the regular season, and that has continued into the postseason.

Carolina also opened the 2018-19 campaign as a +6000 long shot to win the Stanley Cup after missing the playoffs in nine straight seasons, according to Bovada.

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