After Boston's lopsided Game 1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, Brad Marchand wasn't very happy with James van Riemsdyk. Marchand accused van Riemsdyk of spearing him in the crotch as he was skating to the bench.
Thanks to this GIF above found over on Reddit Hockey, we have proof that Marchand was not only telling the truth, but that he also has one of the quickest tempers in the East. It's clear that van Riemsdyk uses the butt end of his stick to spear Marchand in the junk. The ol' Cup Check, if you will. Marchand responds almost instantly, swinging his stick like a baseball bat, failing to connect by a matter of inches.
In the end, no harm done. Consider this just an instance of a guy trying to get under his opponent's skin in a playoff series between two teams that don't like each other. On the bright side, it's probably a good thing Marchand didn't connect on his retaliatory swing or he might be having a word with Mr. Shanahan.
