Should Marchand be disciplined?

Here’s the clip for those who missed Brad Marchand’s hit on R.J. Umberger in last night in the Bruins’ 3-2 shootout win over the Blue Jackets…

Although at first it seemed like an average hit, the slow-motion replay showed that Marchand threw an elbow in the back of Umberger’s head; a hit that looked a little similar to Matt Cooke’s blindside hit on Marc Savard last year.

Fortunately for Umberger, he was able to finish the game and tallied an assist in Scottie Upshall’s third period goal, which put the Jackets ahead 2-1. However, the Columbus forward was a little upset after the game that Marchand was not called for a penalty.

“I haven’t seen [the replay], but I’ve heard he might have left his feet with an elbow,” Umberger said to Michael Arace of The Columbus Dispatch after the game. “That’s what it felt like. You got to think that’s one of the hits we are trying to eliminate whether it’s inadvertent or not.”

Despite the referees not calling a penalty on Marchand, I can still see the Bruins’ rookie getting hit with a suspension. He would be a first time offender if he gets any form of discipline. If that’s the case then Marchand would probably be hit with a suspension between one and three games.

Coming off a game where he was benched for the third period in the Bruins’ 4-2 loss tot he Islanders Friday night – and a week after Zdeno Chara escaped any discipline for his hit on Max Pacioretty in Montreal – Marchand will probably have to watch a couple of games from the sidelines. Given that he’s only tallied one point during the month of March, a suspension might turn into a blessing in disguise for the rookie forward.