Bruins' Brad Marchand told Rangers' Artemi Panarin that 'no one in Russia likes him'
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Boston Bruins bad boy Brad Marchand took another swipe on Tuesday at Artemi Panarin, the Russian-born Rangers forward.
Marchand was speaking to reporters in Boston when he revealed for the first time what he actually said to Panarin on Friday that caused Panarin to throw his glove at him.
"I said that no one in Russia likes him," Marchand said. "So if that is now what is setting guys over the edge, then this is the softest league in the world. And no one should be allowed to say anything. Because there's a lot worse things said out there than that. If that's what he's crying about, then it is what it is."
In the immediate aftermath of the incident at the end of the Rangers’ 5-2 victory in Boston on Friday, Marchand had said: "We were just asking each other how Thanksgiving dinner went and he didn’t like what I ate."
Panarin, who was fined $5,000 on Saturday for throwing his glove, called the exchange with Marchand "a little conversation with bad energy. Then I heard something about Russia in that moment. And with that energy, that couldn’t be something good about Russia. So that’s why I lost my mind and then I did what I did.’’
The NHL suspended Marchand for three games on Monday for slew-footing Vancouver’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson on Sunday.
The Rangers next play Boston on April 23-24 with the second game at the Garden.
COVID postponement for Hartford
The Rangers’ AHL Hartford affiliate announced that its game scheduled for Wednesday against Springfield has been postponed because of a COVID-19 outbreak.
Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said he had just heard about the postponement when he met with the media on Tuesday afternoon, but noted it will affect the Rangers’ ability to call up players as long as Hartford’s program is shuttered.
"I just heard about the Hartford thing just a bit ago," Gallant said. "Yeah, definitely [it will limit the Rangers’ ability to call up players]. But, hopefully, our regular lineup’s going tomorrow, and then we'll see what happens. But if we needed something down there, [it would] definitely hurt you."
Center Greg McKegg, who is in the COVID protocol, did not skate with the Rangers for the second straight day. It is unlikely the Rangers will be able to call up someone to replace him on the roster before Wednesday’s first meeting with the Flyers.
The Rangers haven’t played since Friday after Sunday’s game against the Islanders was postponed because of the Islanders’ COVID outbreak.
"[You get to] rest your team, get your body back to normal," Gallant said. "We had a busy, busy schedule. Starting tomorrow, we're getting real busy again. But it was good. It was a good break. We had some good practice days. Worked hard. Try and get ready for the game because when the games are starting to come, they come at you pretty quick."
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.