NHL

NHL News: Brad Marchand sends harsh reminder to Bruins coach Joe Sacco, teammates after ugly loss

Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand voiced a very harsh wake up call to his teammates and interim head coach Joe Sacco after a lopsided 7-2 defeat against the Buffalo Sabres.

Brad Marchand #63 of the Boston Bruins speaks with the media during 2017 NHL All-Star Media Day as part of the 2017 NHL All-Star Weekend at the JW Marriott on January 28, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.
© Sean M. Haffey/Getty ImagesBrad Marchand #63 of the Boston Bruins speaks with the media during 2017 NHL All-Star Media Day as part of the 2017 NHL All-Star Weekend at the JW Marriott on January 28, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.

The Boston Bruins suffered a humilliating loss against the Buffalo Sabres by a whooping score of 7-2, a defeat that set them back in their pursuit for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the NHL 2024-25 season. The crushing misstep led captain Brad Marchand to issue a stern statement to interim head coach Joe Sacco and the rest of his teammates.

Boston cannot afford any more stumbles in the NHL standings. The Bruins are currently sitting in a wildcard spot, but far from being guaranteed in the postseason, the team is chased closely by the rest of the Eastern Conference.

The East is looking like a battlefield with almost every team still in contention for the playoffs. The Sabres are deadlast in the conference, and look almost out of the fight, however, they cannot be taken for granted and the Bruins learned that lesson the hard way as they were handed a morale-crushing loss during their visit to KeyBank Center.

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After the awful defeat in the state of New York, Marchand was visibly frustrated and infuriated as he dropped a very strong message for his coach, Joe Sacco, and the rest of the team.

Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) makes his way to the locker room before game 5 of the NHL, Eishockey Herren, USA Stanley Cup Finals between the St Louis Blues and the Boston Bruins held at TD Garden, in Boston, Mass.

Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) makes his way to the locker room before game 5 of the NHL, Eishockey Herren, USA Stanley Cup Finals between the St Louis Blues and the Boston Bruins held at TD Garden, in Boston, Mass.

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“Yeah, we’re obviously desperate right now, and we can’t afford to have games like this where we’re not prepared,” Marchand stated, via The Hockey News. “We need every point, and they’re a better team than what their record shows.”

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Underestimated

Boston entered the game against Buffalo riding a two-game win streak, but that wave of momentum may have come back to bite them. The Bruins looked off their game, and the Sabres made them pay.

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You can’t take that team lightly,” Marchand said about Buffalo. “They’re extremely skilled and [have] some of the most talented players in the league. So, you need to come prepared to play and ready to compete harder than that. They got a couple of saves at the right time where it could have been a little different game, but we still didn’t push hard enough.”

Sacco’s statement

Joe Sacco’s Bruins have been marked by inconsistency lately, and their spot in the playoffs, which seemed to be locked up a couple of weeks ago is now in jeopardy. Boston must put together consecutive wins in order to escape the jam-packed dispute for the wildcard berths in the East.

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Brad Marchand #63 of the Boston Bruins prepares to take the ice prior to playing the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2023 Discover NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park on January 02, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Brad Marchand #63 of the Boston Bruins prepares to take the ice prior to playing the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2023 Discover NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park on January 02, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts.

“Just the way we managed the game tonight. I didn’t like the way we managed it,” Sacco admitted, per NESN. “You’re going to make mistakes in hockey that happen in the course of a game, but it’s how we respond right after those mistakes. I would say game management was the most disappointing thing here tonight.”

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