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In a surprisingly close battle, yesterday we saw the Daniel Sedin punching bag slightly edge out our dislike of all things Canadiens and people named Tomas Plekanec. Daniel makes a return in a different Brad moment, this time taking on P.K. Subban in today's installment of...
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Round One: On-Ice Antics
2. The Sedin Flip - 2011 Stanley Cup Finals
Towards the end of Game 4 of the 2011 Cup Finals, the Bruins were starting to impose their will on the Canucks. After losing Game 1 & 2 by one goal each, they trounced the Canucks 8-1 in Game 3. By late in Game 4, Vancouver was feeling the pressure, on the verge of having the series tied at 2-2. Marchand entered the zone trying to deke around Christian Ehrhoff, and pulled him down on a holding penalty. That play in itself wasn't dirty, but Daniel Sedin took exception, and skated towards Brad after the whistle. Seeing him at the last second, Marchand ducked and sent Daniel ass over teakettle, flipping towards the boards and onto the ice. My favorite part of this back-and-forth, more than Sedin's haphazard attempt to start a scrum with Marchand, was his half-assed tug of Marchand's jersey while both Ballard and Marchand are on the ground, and then getting told off by the ref before gliding away in shame.
3. Wrestlemania (Original) 6: P.K. vs. Marchand
In the first regular season meeting between the Bruins & Canadiens since their epic seven-game first round series in the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Brad Marchand and P.K. Subban went at each other nearly the entire game. Around half-way through the 2nd period, Subban and Marchand grappled at center ice before it was quickly broken up. Both were given roughing minors, and then faced off again when they left the box. They met after the whistle, but the scrum was short-lived and broken up immediately by the refs. Again, off-setting two minute minors. With play stopped just as their penalties were up, Marchand and Subban were let loose and finally went toe-to-toe. The scrap was essentially a draw, with the most memorable moment being a haymaker whiff on P.K.'s first punch, but it was a great moment in recent Bruins/Habs rivalry history.
Which Canadian battle will win this time around? Will it be the salt in the wounds of an already embarrassed Sedin twin? Or an all-out war between two of the faces of a couple Original Six rivals?